As early as this Saturday, we may know the name of the first team to qualify from Group E of the World Cup, as the first-round winners, Germany and Ivory Coast, face off at BMO Field in Toronto.
Germany are starting to look like the football powerhouse we remember from the past, and their 7-1 victory over the modest Curacao team has propelled them to first place in the all-time World Cup scoring rankings with 239 goals.
Of course, that result was expected, and the real challenges are yet to come, as Ivory Coast will certainly be far more organized and capable defensively. Still, Die Mannschaft enter this match on a 10-game winning streak.
Their defensive play still has room for improvement, but Germany have scored at least three goals in six of those 10 wins, and at least two in nine of the ten.
Ivory Coast are in similar form, with eight wins in their last 10 matches and five in a row, including friendly victories over France and Scotland. Expectations for them in their first match were that they would face more trouble against Ecuador, and overall, the only thing that impressed was their defensive play.
In the 90th minute, however, Manchester United’s young star Amad Diallo found the net with a superb finish off a pass from Wilfried Singo, securing a 1-0 victory. Amad came on as a substitute in the 56th minute, and his performance will likely earn him a spot in the starting lineup against Germany.
How the bookies view it: Die Mannschaft to secure first place in the group
There are no surprises in the odds, and Germany are, as expected, the clear favourites according to all bookmakers. However, the odds still offer value if you expect Die Mannschaft to repeat their strong performance.
Currently, you can back Germany at 11/20, a draw at 33/10, or Ivory Coast at 19/4.
Recent head-to-head: Germany usually do well against African nations
This will be the first official match between Germany and the Ivory Coast, although the two nations have met once before in a friendly in 2009, when the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
Historically, Germany have met African nations at World Cups a total of eight times before this match, with a record of five wins, two draws, and one loss. That loss occurred way back in 1982, when they fell 2-1 to Algeria.
Players to watch: Havertz hasn't looked better in years
The modest opponent in the opening match allowed the German team to play freely, and many players had chances to score. We certainly won’t see anything like this again until the end of the World Cup, given that the opposition will only get stronger.
From what we observed, Kai Havertz is clearly a favourite of Julian Nagelsmann, as he kept him in the game until the final whistle, even though Germany were already leading by enough goals. Havertz took a total of four shots on Curaçao’s goal, scoring twice.
Overall, the 27-year-old Arsenal player is in top form, having been involved in at least one goal in each of his last five matches for club and country (G5, A2).
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Germany: Neuer, Brown, Schlotterbeck, Tah, Kimmich, Nmecha, Pavlovic, Wirtz, Undav, Musiala, Havertz
Ivory Coast: Fofana, Doue, Singo, Agbadou, Konan, Diallo, Fofana, Kessie, Diomande, Pepe, Wahi
Anything else catch the eye?
This match will be very different for both teams. It will become clearer just how ready Germany are, as well as what Ivory Coast are truly capable of when they’re not playing against a defensive team like Ecuador.
The Elephants’ defense continues to look incredible, but Germany have far more firepower. Therefore, we expect Ivory Coast to be much more active in attack too, especially if Die Mannschaft start the match strongly, as they have in their recent games.
We expect both teams to score at least one goal each and to see one of the most exciting matches since the start of the World Cup. However, we also predict Germany will win and secure their spot in the Round of 16.
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