Not many expected Germany to fall right out of the gate against Mexico, but they did. Nevertheless, the Germans need only to get three points to get back into the thick of the race in Group F. They can get that this Saturday against surprise group leader Sweden, who got their three points off of a thrilling victory the South Koreans. Read on for preview of Germany vs. Sweden below.
Well, what do you know, Germany, the defending World Cup champions, fell victims to Mexico on Sunday, 1-0. If the Germans want to know if losing their opening match was more than just a loss, let it be known to them that the last two defending World Cup champions lost their opening matches as well and failed to get out of the group stages (Italy in 2010 and Spain in 2014). Still, it’s not yet the end of the world for Germany – not with a team with their stacked lineup that is very much capable of turning things around and earning three points against Sweden. Germany, however, needs to make adjustments on defense especially after Mexico exploited gaps on their defense for high-percentage opportunities at the goal. Don’t be surprised if Joshua Kimmich gets limited time on the pitch, thanks to his underwhelming performance in the loss to El Tri.
Betting on Sweden (+700 Moneyline)
After 12 long years of absence in grandest tournament of the sport, Sweden retuned with a bang, downing South Korea 1-0 on Monday. Against South Korea, the Swedes proved their attack can give their opponents a run for their own money even though they were not able to convert on more than one goal. (Their lone score was via a penalty kick by captain Andreas Granqvist.) Sweden generated plenty of opportunities to score with 15 shot attempts compared to just five by the South Koreans. Germany’s defense has some holes on it, but it’s likely not going to bend as much as South Korea’s so more creativity from the Swedes will be needed when they face off with the defending World Cup champs.
