Octopus sealing World Cup fates

An octopus in Germany appears to have sealed the fate of our Socceroos before they even set foot on a World Cup pitch.

Paul the octopus has reportedly shown an uncanny knack for picking the winners of World Cup matches all the way from his glass tank in Oberhausen, Germany.

The prophet chooses his winner by sitting on a box containing a snack, and adorned with the flag of a competing nation.

The soccer-savvy mollusc is said to have correctly predicted the results of Germany’s three Group D matches so far, including their 4-0 thrashing of the Socceroos in the Cup opener.

Most recently, Paul foresaw the outcome of Germany’s victory over Ghana, and their shock loss to Serbia.

According to staff at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Paul’s last assignment saw him predict 80% of winners at the 2008 UEFA Champion League.

Paul now faces his greatest test as Germany, his home country, comes up against his country of birth, England, in the round of 16.

Paul is expected to make the difficult decision later today.