India vs Germany, Mens Hockey Semi-final: All You Need To Know

The Indian men's hockey team last clinched an Olympic gold medal back in the 1980 Moscow Games. As India take on world no. 2 side Germany in the semi-finals, a victory in he clash would guarantee the tam a silver medal, which they last earned in the 1960 Rome edition. The Indians, despite going down to 10 men, with defender Amit Rohidas being shown a red card in controversial circumstances, put in an exemplary show against Great Britain in the quarterfinal, thanks to goalkeeper PR Sreejesh's heroics. Against Germany, however, India can expect a much sterner contest.

India vs Germany, Head-to-head:

India and Germany have faced each other 18 times overall, with the Indians taking an 8-6 lead. Four matches, meanwhile, have ended in draws. In the contest, India have also managed to outscore Germany cumulatively, bagging 41 goals compared to Germany's 37. The two teams met each other in the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal mmatch, where India won 5-4, with Sreejesh rescuing the team at the end.

When it comes to their last six meetings, India have won five while Germany have only secured a solitary win.

Form Guide:

As far as the current run-in is concerned, Germany entered the semi-final after defeating Argentina 3-2 in the quarter-finals on Sunday. Teo Hinrichs, Gonzalo Peillat and Justus Weigand found their names on the scoresheet for the three-time Olympic champions, setting up a crucial clash against India for a place in the final.

India, on the other hand, scraped past Great Britain 4-2 on penalties after the scores were tied 1-1 in regulation time. India can be proud of the fact that they have also beaten giants like Australia in this edition of the Olympic Games. They also faced defending champions Belgium in the group stage, suffering a narrow 1-2 defeat. 

While India seem to be the slight favourites in the contest, the absence of defender Amit Rohidas could hurt the team's chances against the Germans.