Disastrous news for England fans ahead of the crunch last-16 match with Germany on Sunday: an octopus in Germany with a perfect track record of predicting World Cup matches has predicted a German win.

Two plastic boxes containing tasty morsels, one with a German flag and one with an England flag, were lowered into the tank that houses Paul the octopus at his home in Sea Life in Oberhausen, western Germany.

Paul immediately climbed into the German box to a huge roar of approval from the crowd.

Earlier in the tournament, the mollusc medium correctly predicted Germany would beat Ghana and Australia in their group D matches and was also right to predict they would lose to Serbia.

And the eight-legged oracle is also coming off a run of good form at major championships. He had an 80 per cent record for Germany games at the European Championships.

England fans have reason to feel somewhat betrayed by his latest prediction. Paul should by rights be an England supporter, having been born at Sea Life in Weymouth on the south English coast.

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