Germany vs. Mexico: 2017 Confederations Cup Live Stream, Schedule and Prediction

Germany will have to fight their way past Mexico in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-finals on Thursday if they're to have their chance at meeting either Portugal or Chile in this year's championship fixture.

A tantalising clash awaits in the last four after Germany topped Group B to progress following a 3-1 comeback win over Cameroon, while Mexico secured second spot in Group A with two wins from three.

Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio will know his men enter their clash with the world champions as likely underdogs, but back-to-back victories against New Zealand and hosts Russia will have greatly boosted their morale.

Both teams remain undefeated in the competition and will be hoping to retain their 100 per cent records heading into the final, but only one nation will be able to do so on Thursday as the tournament reaches its final phase.

Read on for a preview of the midweek clash at Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia, complete with live-stream information and a prediction of who will advance to Sunday's final.

Date: Thursday, June 29

Time: 7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET

Venue: Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia

Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), Fox Soccer Match Pass (U.S.)

Preview

Assessing this game on pedigree alone paints Germany as the big favourites, with the World Cup holders having only been matched thus far in the competition by Chile, against whom they drew 1-1 last week.

But Die Mannschaft made up for that disappointment with a commanding 3-1 victory over Cameroon to decide their place as Group B winners thanks to a brace from man-of-the-match winner Timo Werner. UEFA Euro illustrated his recent prolific form for his country:

The RB Leipzig striker was an integral part of his club's second-place finish in the Bundesliga last term and has translated that form to the international stage. But he is just one weapon El Tri must cage if they're to progress.

Mexico have a couple of key absences to account for in preparation for Thursday's semi-final encounter, as explained by ESPN FC's Tom Marshall:

But while Germany may be a bigger brand, their Confederations Cup squad has been an experimental one for manager Joachim Low, considering only nine of his 23 players boast national-team caps in double figures.

It was six years ago that Mexico sprang a surprise 3-2 win over their German counterparts in the semi-final of the 2011 Under-17 World Cup, although Vice's Jorge Arangure noted few players remain for this match:

Despite his effort to induct new faces into the senior national team, Low has nevertheless led Germany on an impressive unbeaten streak, having last tasted defeat 13 matches ago (July 2016).

Mexico have hardly been slouches themselves, though, and while their six-match undefeated run may not be as intimidating, the fact that's just one of the two defeats they've suffered in the past two years speaks volumes.

Osorio has marshalled his team into a disciplined and tough-to-break-down machine since he was appointed in 2015, and the El Tri chief isn't without his own selection of game-changers, as has been clear in their play.

One of those is recent PSV Eindhoven recruit Hirving Lozano, who recently moved from Liga MX club Pachuca, and he dazzled against Russia, per ESPN FC:

He showed a lot of heart to nab the winner against the hosts, and he possesses the kind of elite pace that can trouble even the stern defence of Germany, bringing a valuable sense of unpredictability to the Mexican attack.

Both teams will have chances to score goals considering clean sheets have been at a premium so far—neither team has managed to keep one in the tournament—but Germany's stars should have the composure to pull through in the end.

Prediction: Germany 3-2 Mexico