Germany get their World Cup campaign underway when they face Curacao at NRG Stadium on Sunday evening.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side are widely expected to top Group E, where they will also come up against Ecuador and Ivory Coast.
Remarkably, Germany have crashed out at the group stage in each of the last two World Cups, so another early exit would be unthinkable for the four-time winners.
Anything other than a winning start against Curacao would also be a major shock.
An unbeaten run through CONCACAF qualifying saw Curacao reach the World Cup for the first time in their history.
However, navigating their way out of this section will be a huge ask, especially with Dick Advocaat’s side facing a daunting opener against Germany.
How the bookies view it: Germany near-certainties
This looks like a major international mismatch on paper, and that is reflected in the pre-match odds, with Germany as short as 1/33 on bet365.
Curacao are a huge 33/1 on bet365 to pull off what would be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history, while the draw is also considered highly unlikely at 18/1 with the same firm.
Head to head: History book blank
Curacao's World Cup debut and the fact the teams are from different continents mean this will be the first-ever meeting between the two nations.
Players to watch: Havertz to hit the ground running?
Kai Havertz has netted a quietly impressive 22 goals in 58 appearances for Germany, scoring in each of his last two outings. However, the German forward is as short as 4/9 (bet365) to strike on Sunday. An alternative angle to consider is backing either Havertz or teammate Jamal Musiala to score the opening goal at 6/4 on bet365.
Juninho Bacuna has developed into a key performer for Curacao since his Rangers days and appeals for at least one shot at 4/5 on bet365.
Predicted line-ups
Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a thigh injury in Germany’s training camp in the US, and has since been replaced by Assan Ouedraogo.
Jurgen Locadia is available for Curacao after serving a suspension following his red card against Scotland, which saw him miss last week’s friendly against Aruba.
Germany: Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Raum; Goretzka, Pavlovic; Wirtz, Musiala, Sane; Havertz
Curacao: Room; Sambo, Van Eijma, Obispo, Floranus; L. Bacuna, Roemeratoe, J. Bacuna; Hansen, Locadia, Chong
Anything else catch the eye?
Trying to extract any real value from this game is no easy task, given the gulf in quality between the sides, so the Bet Builder could be the best angle of attack.
Combining Germany Half Time/Full Time, BTTS No and Over 2.5 Goals will bring about a backable 10/11 shot that looks worthy of support.
Backing Germany to win alongside a goal range of 3-5 also appeals, with that selection priced at 4/5 with bet365.
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