Octopus chooses Spain

FORTUNE-TELLER GOES SOUTH: Paul the octopus sits on a box decorated with a Spanish flag and a shell inside yesterday at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen. Paul, who had predicted correctly the results of five matches earlier in the tournament, this time decided for Spain.Photo: AFP

Germany have been dealt a 'massive' blow to their World Cup chances after the psychic octopus, Paul, picked Spain to win their semifinal clash.
Paul has predicted all of Germany's World Cup results correctly so far, including wins against England and Argentina.
Paul even said that Serbia would beat Germany 1-0 in the group stage.
However, there is still a glimmer of hope for Germany. In all his years of making predictions, the only one Paul has ever got wrong was the Spain v Germany final at Euro 2008.
The octopus opted for Germany but Spain were the victors, winning 1-0.
German fans are now hoping the opposite will happen and by picking Spain to win it will actually be Germany who come out on top.
Such is the popularity that surrounds the octopus the German news channel n-tv actually broadcasted its Germany-Spain prediction live, even having two reporters commentating on it.
The handlers of the psychic octopus at Aquarium Sea Life in Oberhausen encourage Paul to make the predictions by putting mussels into two glass cubes, with each cube having one of the nation's flags on the front.
The mussel Paul chooses first is taken to be its prediction.
Paul initially went to the Spain-marked container before moving around the tank and then hovered over the German box. But he eventually opted for the European champions.
Paul has become world renowned, but this good humoured, quirky phenomenon has not been well received by everybody.
Following the quarterfinal prediction where Paul correctly guessed Argentina would lose to Germany the Argentineans threatened to kill the octopus and put it in a paella.
The newspaper El Dia gave this recipe for anyone daring to capture Paul: "All you need is four normal potatoes, olive oil for taste and a little pepper."
Argentinean chef Nicolas Bedorrou has suggested on Facebook a far more simplistic and brutal way to cook the octopus.
"We will chase him and put him on some paper. We will then beat him (but correctly!) in order to keep the meat tender and then put it in boiling water."