Deschamps not fearing Germany

Didier Deschamps stated “nobody is afraid” as his France side to prepare to lock horns with Germany in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.

Les Bleus have produced some of the most attractive football at the FIFA World Cup as they topped Group E and then beat Nigeria 2-0 in the round of 16.

Germany also looked the part in the group stages, but laboured to a 2-1 victory over Algeria after extra time to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Deschamps’ men and Germany will do battle in a mouth-watering clash at the Maracana on Friday with a place in the last four at stake.

And France coach Deschamps, a World-Cup winning captain on home soil in 1998, insisted that the pressure is on Joachim Low’s side.

He said at a press conference on Thursday: “You know the German team is very strong, very experienced, but nobody is afraid. It’s a pleasure to be in this position.

“There is no pressure and tomorrow we will try and write another page in our history.”

Deschamps also dismissed Low’s claims that resurgent France are favourites heading into the eagerly awaited tie.

He said: “How lovely. I’ll say that at the start of this World Cup it was they who were the favourites. Germany have a lot more experience than we do.

“I think that they had problems against Ghana, for example, but they always got out of it.

“We all know it – they are a very solid team who are balanced and have good players.

“Since the start of the World Cup, Germany have used a lot of players and changed their positions on the pitch. That is a sign that they are solid.”