France and Germany will kick off the quarterfinals stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup when they collide on Friday at the Estadio Do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Germany were considered as one of the title favorites in this year's World Cup and they solidified that status in their tournament opener, when they cruised to a 4-0 win against the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal.

However, the German side failed to meet expectations in their next matches - a 2-2 draw against Ghana and a 1-0 win against the United States. The team also needed extra time to dispatch Algeria, 2-1, in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

But despite their recent struggles, Germany coach Joachim Loew, whose side will rely on Thomas Mueller, who has already scored four goals in the tournament, is confident about his team's chances.

Loew played down the criticisms thrown at them about their recent performances, insisting that the important thing is to learn from their mistakes in their previous games.

"You've just got to leave the field triumphant, and that's what we did," Loew said via Yahoo Sports UK. "We have worked hard, both during the preparation in South Tyrol and here in Brazil, and realized what we must improve. It's only normal that you keep on learning throughout a tournament."

France, on the other hand, have been exceeding expectations in the tournament. They kicked off their campaign with a 3-0 win against Honduras, which was followed by a 5-2 win against Switzerland, before ending the group stages with a scoreless draw against Ecuador.

France coach Didier Deschamps, who was the team captain of the French squad that won their only World Cup title in 1998, knows that they are the underdogs talent-wise, but he insisted that it takes more than talent and skills to win a crucial match.

"Football ability is one thing, but it's your mentality and what you have in your stomach that allows you to turn a situation around and get a result," Deschamps said earlier this week via ABC News. "Football ability is one thing, but it's your mentality and what you have in your stomach that allows you to turn a situation around and get a result."

France will once again rely on star forward Karim Benzema, who has already netted three goals in the tournament.

Schedule, How to Watch

The France-Germany quarter-final match will begin at 12 p.m. EST. Fans can catch this highly-anticipated match on ESPN and via online streaming through WatchESPN.

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