Preview: Germany - Mexico
Here's our preview for the German World Cup opener against Mexico at the Luzhniki Stadium this Sunday.
Germany's World Cup defense starts on Sunday when 'Die Mannschaft' take on Mexico at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Joachim Löw's team have prepared for the tournament with test matches against Austria (1-2 loss) and Saudi Arabia (2-1 win), and the German national team coach feels there is room for a lot of improvement.
"In both games, you felt that the team didn't have the desired momentum. But that's not completely uncommon before tournaments. Now we're focusing on the finishing touches, especially in the tactical area," Löw said at a press conference yesterday.
Löw says Germany will have to deal with Mexico's high pressure to get three points out of the opening match.
"Mexico defend very aggressively. It's an opponent that demands everything from us. But we are well prepared. The team will rise again. It's a difficult game, but we'll find the solutions," he said yesterday.
On the injury front, Mesut Özil is back on the training pitch after struggling with his knee. Sami Khedira has had problems with his back while Julian Draxler has also been struggling with a minor issue, but Löw is confident they will both be ready for the Mexico match.
Although Özil is ready to play, Löw wouldn't say if the Arsenal star will play from the start.
"I don't want to say today who will play. He didn't play on Friday even though he wanted to. Today, he was able to train fully with the team. But there is great competition in the team," he said.
Predicted line-ups:
Germany: Neuer - Kimmich, Hummels, Boateng, Hector - Khedira, Kroos - Müller, Özil, Draxler - Werner.
Mexico: Ochoa - Alvarez, Salcedo, Moreno, Gallardo - Guardado, Herrera, Layun - Vela, Chicharito, Lozano.
Where and when:
The match will be played on June 17, 17:00 (UTC +2) at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Predicted result:
We expect Germany to begin the World Cup with a narrow win. 2-1.