Prediction: Germany vs Sweden

Prediction: Germany win

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: bet365

Group F wasn’t initially seen as a group that would be hard to call when the draw first occurred back in December, and yet now, there’s a great deal of uncertainty surrounding it. All four teams involved have showcased both the good and bad sides of their game, and as we enter the second round of fixtures, it’ll be interesting to see who can find some consistency. In this game, we’ll see Germany face off against Sweden, which is an encounter which often provides us with plenty of goals and talking points.

Germany

Nobody can ever accuse the Germans of being boring, especially now that they find themselves in a situation where they need to get three points in their upcoming game. They were expected to walk through Mexico in their World Cup opener but as we saw, that didn’t quite come to fruition. They struggled to really get a foothold in the game, and once they were rattled early on, they found it very difficult to recover. The good news is that their next two encounters shouldn’t be quite as challenging, but you have to wonder if this form will leak into the knockout stages – if they get there, that is.

Team News

Marco Reus will probably receive a call-up to the starting XI after being on the bench against Mexico, and Joachim Low is also expected to make a number of other changes as he attempts to bring the Germans back from the brink.

Sweden

It often seems like Sweden either go above and beyond everyone’s expectations of them, or they fall short by quite some distance. In their opener against South Korea, they were less than inspiring, but they were still able to pick up the three points which could serve as a significant boost for them as they attempt to make a run into the knockout stages. Despite not having Zlatan Ibrahimovic to rely on they seem to have a solid core in their squad, and taking on the world champions will serve as a great test.

Team News

Victor Lindelof has recovered from an illness and will likely start this game, meaning that Pontus Jansson will probably be the man who is replaced.

Factors to Consider

• Germany holds a narrow 15-13 advantage in the head to head with eight draws, and their last two encounters have generated 16 goals (4-4 & 5-3).
• Sweden have won one, drawn three and lost two of their last six games.
• Germany have won one, drawn two and lost three of their last six games.
• Sweden’s final group game will be against Mexico on Wednesday.
• Germany’s final group game will be against South Korea on Wednesday.

Conclusion

Even in a tournament as historically unpredictable as the World Cup, when the Germans’ backs are against the wall, they usually find a way to come out on top. They may have looked incredibly disjointed in their opener but they always seem to know how to bounce back, and the quality they have in their ranks is undeniable. Sweden were extremely unconvincing in the win against South Korea, and we think that the world champions will end up running away with this one as 3-1 winners following another uncertain start to the game.

Prediction: Germany win

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker: bet365