Advantage Germany

Manuel Neuer is the world's best goalkeeper

Not that Germany or the footballing world needed reminding, but Manuel Neuer put in another sterling performance that helped Germany see off the challenge of a young France team. His reflexes were regularly called into action - most notably to deny Mathieu Valbuena the first half and then Karim Benzema late in the game - but there was far more to the performance of Germany's number one than his shot stopping.

Neuer continues to provide a surreal serenity to Germany's defense - one that has been more than a little shaky at times during the 2014 World Cup. Having someone of Neuer's quality in defense should continue to provide both Germany's fans and defensive charges with plenty of positivity. There's nothing quite like a safe pair of hands.

Attacking intent rediscovered

Against Algeria, Germany looked uncharacteristically lost in the final third. For all of their possession, they couldn't penetrate their opponent's defense, which left their attacking talents locked. Against France, who admittedly came out to play more attacking football, Germany were able to make the most of a roaming Thomas Müller, a more advanced Toni Kroos and a purposeful Miroslav Klose.

Nevertheless, this was not Germany in top gear - there were still some misplaced passes and the occasional communication issue. But the development from their first knockout game was important. Having Klose in attack does allow Müller more space to exploit, while also confusing opposition defenses as they remain unsure who to mark. It also proved that having only one of the Götze/Özil combination, there was less hesitation and more directness to their attacking play.

Lahm's intelligence

Löw moved Philipp Lahm to right back for the game against France and considering the improved stability in Germany's defense, it would be foolish to suggest it was a change that proved unsuccessful. Although Mats Hummels took the defensive-performance-of-the-day trophy, Lahm was virtually Germany's sole creator and deserves recognition.

Having opted to ignore their left wing, Lahm was kept busy virtually all game. The absurdly low number of errors he made might be a familiar sight but it still remains remarkable. Lahm must be one of the most analyzed footballers of the modern era, but on the world's biggest stage his transition from central midfield to right-back was seamless. Wherever he plays in the semi-final, Germany should not forget just how remarkable a footballer their captain is.