KOLKATA: Germany coach Christian Wueck today refused to pick a favourite in their marquee FIFA Under-17 World Cup quarterfinal against Brazil, saying both teams would have equal chances.
Known for their rivalry at the senior level, Germany had inflicted a 7-1 drubbing on Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semifinal.
But, last year at the Rio Olympics, Brazil beat Germany on penalties to win the gold medal.
"They are a very good side, everyone has noticed that.
Each team has equal chance to win the quarterfinal. It's very important for us to come good in the game and win the tackles.
We know what we have to do and have two-three days to prepare," Wueck told reporters on the sidelines of their training session at the Salt Lake Stadium.
The U-17 team started off on a winning note, but their campaign stuttered after being stunned 0-4 by Iran in the group stage.
"It was very necessary to get better on the defence.
After Iran match we have improved for sure. Each player is getting better each day. The whole team is in good shape," Wueck said.
Germany advanced to the knockouts with a 3-1 win over Guinea and their best came in the last match when they blanked Colombia 4-0 to make the quarterfinals.
Wueck has worked as a coach at the German Football Association (DFB) since 2012, looking after the U-16s and U- 17s among others.
The coach further said his team was looking forward to play in front of a huge crowd on Sunday.
"It's a pleasure to play in the huge stadium in front of 40-50,000 crowd. But there's no pressure for us.
"It was very good for us to know the pitch, what we are expected to face in three days. It was very good."