It is back to action for the teams in Groups E, with opening winners Germany and Ivory Coast squaring off to see who could potentially claim top spot in their group. The second Group E contest will take place at the Toronto Stadium in Canada tonight (Saturday). Kick-off is at 10:00pm (SA time).
Germany will be confirmed as Group E winners if they defeat Ivory Coast and Ecuador are unable to take full points from Curacao, while the same scenario exists for Ivory Coast with a win against the Germans and an Ecuador win or draw against the islanders. Should defeat befall either Curacao or Ecuador, they run the risk of elimination. Curacao’s clash with Ecuador will see both teams eager to bounce back from defeats.
According to the Fifa website, Germany and Ivory Coast will meet for the first time on the World Cup stage. Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany should be full of confidence given their 7-1 opening victory over Curacao while Ivory Coast should have been buoyed by their 1-0 win over Ecuador, their first in the World Cup against South American opponents. Whoever wins can start planning for the Round of 32.
Said Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae: “It has helped that we won the first match, it has given us a piece of mind. We have come here to beat Germany and to qualify for the round of 32. Our clear goal is to go back to the base camp in Philadelphia with six points and the assurance that we’ll finish at the top of the group. We have a team that has been working together for two and a half years, and we’ll do everything the same as in the past. Nothing changes just because the opponent is Germany.”
“We want to win every match; we want to make our mark on history, and that’s what we’re all trying to do together,” added Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande.
“There’s no obvious reason for me to change the starting eleven,” said Julian Nagelsmann, Germany coach. “We won’t overhaul our approach completely, there will only be a few tweaks to prevent the odd turnover and to be well positioned when it comes to guarding against counter-attacks. We spent a session and a half working on that, and the lads did a really good job.
“In World Cup qualifying and at the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast always lined up in a different system. So we don’t know exactly what to expect. We’ve prepared for a variety of scenarios. They are physically very strong, which could cause us problems. Their pace and their quality in one-on-one situations are their biggest strengths.”
Germany possible starting XI:
Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Wirtz, Musiala, Sane; Havertz
Ivory Coast possible starting XI:
Fofana; Konan, Singo, Agbadou, G Doue; Kessie, Fofana; Diallo, Pepe, Diomande; Wahi
- It is back to action for the teams in Groups E, with opening winners Germany and Ivory Coast squaring off to see who could potentially claim top spot in their group.
- The second Group E contest will take place at the Toronto Stadium in Canada tonight (Saturday).
- Kick-off is at 10:00pm (SA time).
- Germany will be confirmed as Group E winners if they defeat Ivory Coast and Ecuador are unable to take full points from Curacao, while the same scenario exists for Ivory Coast with a win against the Germans and an Ecuador win or draw against the islanders.
- Should defeat befall either Curacao or Ecuador, they run the risk of elimination.
