Germany rout in Rio ends Portugal's perfect 2016

Victory takes Germany one step closer to a mouthwatering rematch with hosts Brazil in next Saturday's final two years on from smashing the five-time world champions 7-1 on home soil at the 2014 World Cup.

Brazil resume their quest for a maiden football gold medal in a South American grudge match with Colombia in Sao Paulo later on Saturday.

Next up for Germany is a semi-final with Nigeria or Denmark in Salvador on Wednesday as they exacted revenge for a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Portugal in last year's under-21 European championships.

"I'm not surprised. I have said from the beginning with more games the better we will get as a team," said Gnabry.

"Horst (Hrubesch) is a super coach. He has prepared us very well.

"His tactics are very good and you can see he believes in us."

The world champions' greater experience told with the Portuguese squad ravaged by clubs not releasing players for the Games and a number of their stars from the under-21s having gone onto win Euro 2016 with the senior side in France last month.

"After losing 4-0, it is absurd to mention that we fulfilled the task, but in several days, when we see what we did, perhaps we (will) see that we have done good work," said Portugal boss Rui Jorge, after knocking out Argentina to reach the last eight.

Gnabry has been a player reborn in Brazil after a couple of years blighted by injury and lack of first-team opportunities at Arsenal.

The 21-year-old scored his sixth goal in four games when he coolly slotted home Julian Brandt's inch-perfect pass to open the scoring in first-half stoppage time.

"I think so," said Gnabry when quizzed if he was enjoying the best few weeks of his young career.

"I have had a lot of good training sessions over the summer."

Mathias Ginter is the only member of the Germany team who was also part of the World Cup winning squad two years ago having showed his commitment to the cause by flying 20,000km from Borussia Dortmund's pre-season tour in China to Brazil for the Games.

Ginter powered home a corner to put the game beyond Portugal just before the hour mark for his second goal of the tournament.

Brandt, though, was the German's standout performer as he teed up Davie Selke and finally Philipp Max to fire into the top corner and round off a comprehensive drubbing in Brasilia to take Germany's tally to 19 goals in just four games in Brazil.

South Korea, bronze medallists in 2012, face Honduras in the other quarter-final in Belo Horizonte.