Mexico will be the first opponent in Germany’s way to defend the World Cup title. The two teams play the first game of Group F in the Luzhniki Stadium on June 17th.
Germany vs Mexico
The current World Cup champions are, once again, title contender in this year’s edition. After winning the Confederations Cup last year with an alternative squad, Germany showed that they’re still hungry for more.
Mexico struggled at first when Juan Carlos Osório took charge but started to improve as the years went by. They qualified in first place in the CONCACAF World Cup qualification with just one loss.
Löw’s Army
The work that has been done in German football is amazing. The German FA invested massively in the development of young players and this investment yield gorgeous fruits.
Twelve out of the twenty-three players called up for the World Cup 2018 won the Confederations Cup last year. And that doesn’t include the big names as Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Manuel Neuer or Matts Hummels.
Players like Leon Goretzka, Julian Draxler and Joshua Kimmich have made a name for themselves after the victorious campaign of 2017.
Löw knows his players and they trust him in return. That’s an essential combination in a national side.
Despite not having the best results in recent games, Germany are set to take the World Cup by storm.
Osorio’s Revolution
For the first time in a long period, Mexico’s best players are going to play together. Giovani dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Chicharito Hernandez and Hirving Lozano, as well as Rafa Márquez, former Barcelona star, that’s going to retire after the World Cup. The perfect mix of experience and youth.
After being knocked out of the Copa America back in 2016 and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2017, Mexico started to improve massively, qualifying for the World Cup in first place, five points clear of Costa Rica, who came in second.
The Match
While Low’s players are going to try and control possession, forcing Mexico to break their lines and open spaces, Osorio’s men need to stay focused. The key to breaking through Germany’s defence is to explore the space behind the full-backs, as they advance on the pitch to help on the build-up.
Testing Neuer might be a good strategy as the keeper has just recovered from a long-term injury.
Game Details
The match kicks off at 16:00 pm GMT at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Predicted Line-Ups
Germany: Neuer, Kimmich, Boateng, Hummels, Hector, Khedira, Kroos, Müller, Özil, Reus, and Werner.
Mexico: Ochoa, Salcedo, Ayala, Moreno, Layún, Herrera, J. Dos Santos, Guardado, Vela, Chicharito Hernández, and Lozano.
Prediction: Germany 3-0 Mexico
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