It was the first time that this stage of the competition (equivalent to the quarter-finals) was played in a group format.
Matches were played in three cities (Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen and Hanover) between 26 June and 3 July 1974.
Assistant referees: Kurt Tschenscher (West Germany) Pavel Kazakov (Soviet Union)
Assistant referees: Erich Linemayr (Austria) Omar Delgado Gómez (Colombia)
Assistant referees: Mahmoud Mustafa Kamel (Egypt) Clive Thomas (Wales)