High-flying Spain faces a dejected Germany in a colossal battle of the Group E second match at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Spain will be looking to secure their spot in the next stage and reinforce its status as one of the top title contenders following an impressive 7-0 rout of Costa Rica in their group opener.
La Roja put up an ecstatic performance in the opening game while Die Mannschaft surprisingly lost 2-1 to Japan despite taking the lead in the first half.
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Following the shocking loss on Wednesday, Germany is in danger of suffering another humiliating group-stage exit at the World Cup, four years after they faced the same fate in Russia.
It will be a daunting task for Germany against Spain but one they have to win to guarantee them a chance in the knockout stages.
Kick-off – 20:00 G.M.T
Venue – Al Bayt Stadium.
Team news
Hansi Flick is likely to continue with his 4-2-3-1 setup once again. Manuel Neuer will start in goal.
The back four will comprise Niklas Sule, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck and David Raum. Germany is likely to defend deep here especially because of the lack of quality attacking full-backs.
The Manchester City captain will be expected to control the tempo of the game, and Kimmich will break up the play.
Spain is likely to persist with the side that took Costa Rica apart in their opening group game. Luis Enrique has no notable injury concerns except for Jose Gaya, who has been replaced by Alejandro Balde in the squad.
Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Neuer; Sule, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan; Gnabry, Musiala, Sane; Muller
Predicted Lineup (4-3-3):
Simon; Carvajal, Laporte, P Torres, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; F Torres, Asensio, Olmo.
Odds/prediction
Spain was in full flow against Costa Rica, and the massive win will have given them an immense confidence boost. They will be in buoyant spirits heading into this game, knowing that they can beat a struggling Germany.
On the other hand, Die Mannschaft will be playing to salvage some pride here. This a do-or-die game for them, and they cannot afford to slip up. This is likely to be a close contest, but Spain has the quality to edge this one eventually.
We predict a narrow 2-1 win for Luis Enrique’s team
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