All eyes will be on Löw and Germany as they look to rebound against Sweden
One of the most exciting groups in the World Cup produced some exciting results after the first match day. A 1-0 victory for Mexico over Germany literally shook the country and produced some of the best counter attacking football of the tournament.
Sweden was victorious over South Korea by the same scoreline courtesy of an Andreas Grandqvist penalty in the second half. Sweden was difficult to break down, but overall was the more dangerous of the two teams.
Now, heading into match day two in a still wide open group, Sweden look to continue their winning form as Germany look to turn their fortune around.
How they will line up
Germany lined up in their usual 4231 against Mexico. This did not come as a shock to anyone as manager Joachim Löw made it clear this was his favored formation. The problem arose in the game plan that the team executed.
In attack, eight German players were in the opposition’s half of the field. This left just two defenders, Boatent and Hummels, to fend off the lightening quick Mexico counter attack.
This strategy clearly did not work as the Germans were caught out multiple times, with the one major time being the goal by Lozano. Something needs to change against Sweden if they want to win.
The personnel did not seem to be the problem, so the only real change could be Marco Reus or Mario Gomez starting over Timo Werner up top.
If Sami Khedira can play a bit deeper and Kimmich or Plattenhardt can track back more, the problem will ultimately be fixed.
Sweden’s formation was also no surprise. Their favored 442 was rolled out and went just as planned. The midfield was compact and the back four fended off any sort of chance South Korea tried to conjure up.
Like Germany, it is hard to see many changes being made to the 11 players that started against South Korea.
Marcus Berg will be in the spot light a bit as he had a few golden opportunities to score for his country that went begging.
More from World Cup
- A World Cup of firsts proves future of women’s soccer is bright
- Spain win the Women’s World Cup
- USWNT underperforms but squeaks through to knockout rounds
- Dutch expose USWNT’s vulnerabilities in 1-1 draw
- Australia forced to start World Cup campaign without Sam Kerr
Emil Forsberg also could have printed his name on the scoresheet a few times. He had a relatively quiet outing in terms of chances created, so a big game against Germany will be expected.
Predictions
If this World Cup has taught us anything, it is that any single nation can win on any given match day. This will absolutely be the deal going into this match, as both Germany and Sweden will be fighting all out for these vital three points.
The result will heavily depend on the type of Germany that takes the field. It could be an angry Germany that is out to get revenge after their loss to Mexico. This would mean smash mouth, fast tempo football that will be beautiful to watch.
The other type of Germany will be much more beneficial to Sweden. That is a Germany that barely changes anything tactically and sticks to their game plan.
Exiting the Mexico match on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline was disheartening for the German team, but they could very well go into this match against Sweden with a clear head and expect to come out on top.
If Germany do against flood numbers forward, do not be surprised if Forsberg pushes up field into a winger type role. This would give Sweden a great option on the counter attack as Berg and Ola Toivonen stay up top.
A win for Sweden would be just as monumental as Mexico’s. They would be qualified for the Round of 16 for the first time since 2006 with a lot of momentum heading into the knockout round.
A win for Germany would mean a big first step on the road to the final, where they expect to be in July. The hiccup they had against Mexico needs to be forgotten if they want to succeed this tournament. Only time will tell if the team is up to the challenge of this World Cup, though.
Next: Uruguay and Luis Suarez are still dark horses
Who do you think will win: Germany or Sweden?