The German national team is on fire. Hansi Flick’s charges, after the failed opener, were a game for everything and not just anyone, as with Spain, who could clinch promotion to the Round of 16 on Sunday. Belgians and Japanese can also join.
The German national team shocked the world when in 2018, as defending champions, they couldn’t make it out of the squad. Today, they are no longer the reigning champions, but they are very close to repeating their “feat” of the last World Cup. The situation was complicated by the defeat against Japan in the opening match, now they have to make up for the defeats against Spain, who, given the last meeting, are in excellent form. Luis Enrique’s players crushed Costa Rica 7-0 and although the class of the rival was not impressive, the same style of play of the Spaniards showed that they are one of the strongest teams in this championship and the Germans will have to leave a lot of health on the ground not to lose this match.
The Japanese, who caused a sensation by beating the German national team, can secure promotion to the 1/8 finals on Sunday. The task ahead of them does not seem difficult. Their rival will be the national team of Costa Rica, which – if they show up as in the previous appointment – will be the weakest team in the World Cup in Qatar. However, attention should be paid to the attitude of Iran who, despite losing to England with a very high score in the first game, were able to show class and win the game in the second game. The Costa Rica national team has a good role model.
Belgium can also advance to the round of 16 on Sunday. The style of play exhibited by the 2018 World Cup bronze medalists in the game against Canada was not captivating but, as you can see, it is extremely effective. This time they will face the Moroccan national team, who had won a point against Croatia in the previous match, which was more due to the poor performance of the Europeans than the good form of the Moroccans. The Belgians therefore have a great opportunity to approach the last match of the group with Croatia with calm and concentration on the knockout phase.
Canada captured the hearts of fans around the world in the game against Belgium. The North American team fought to the bitter end, playing great football, but that wasn’t enough to stop Belgium. This time, he has an easier task ahead of him. The Croatians are not in great form, as they showed in the opening game, and if Canada approach the match with the same fighting spirit as they did against Belgium, success awaits them.
GROUP E
Japan – Costa Rica (11:00 a.m.)
Spain – Germany (20:00)
GROUP F
Belgium – Morocco (2:00 p.m.)
Croatia – Canada (5:00 p.m.)
jk