Three time world champions Germany were the first team to really make a mark in the World Cup, with a thumping 4 nil win over Australia in their opening match. Up until then, the World Cup had been somewhat of a quiet affair, but the flair and form on display by the former world champions was a breath of fresh air, and in a way sparked off the World Cup. Till Thursday it had been the highest score of the World Cup, but Argentina matched their goal-scoring ability with a 4-1 drubbing of South Korea, in which Higuain also scored the first hat-trick of the World Cup.
The interesting fact in Germany’s 4 nil win was that there were 4 different goal scorers for the Europeans, which will give immense confidence to the frontline and leave them wanting more for the later games to come. The next opponents for them are the newcomers to the World Cup, Serbia. The two teams have only met once before, in a friendly where Germany came out 2-1 winners, but not before Serbia took the lead in the first half. Interestingly, the 3 men on the score sheet that day are not in the squad for either side in Friday’s match.
Germany over the years have been impressive when it comes to World Cups; since 1954 they have managed to at least make it to the quarterfinals, and even this time, aside from a resounding win in the opening match, they have had a great qualifying campaign, winning 8 of their 10 games, and averaging more than 2 goals per match.
Apart from having 4 goal scorers in the first match, the midfield for Germany was in great form, despite losing their captain Michael Ballack, who was injured in the FA Cup final in England, while playing for his club Chelsea. The trio of Schweinsteiger, Ozil and Khedira were in great touch, constantly creating chances for the front 3. The 4-3-3 formation seems to suit the Germans, and hence the attacking play looks to be the name of the game for them.
While looking at the backline of Germany, in the first game they were hardly tested, as Australia were more worried about not conceding goals rather than scoring. Their next opponents Serbia, on the other hand, may pose more of a threat in attack, having bigger and better players in offence.
Serbia are making only their 2nd appearance in a World Cup: in 2006, they participated as Serbia and Montenegro, and lost all of their 3 games. This time around, they look a much better and more composed side. Their loss in the first game against Ghana was quite disappointing; the one nil defeat did not do justice to their performance, as in most parts of the match they were in control, be it defence or attack. They certainly had the better of their African opponents, and looking at their qualifying campaign, they certainly were the team in form, as they overhauled teams such as France, Austria and Romania to top their group.
The first game certainly was unlucky for them, as their key defender Lukovic was handed a red card, leaving them a man short, and later an unfortunate handball by Kuzmanovic led to the penalty from which Ghana took the decisive lead. Had it been 11 against 11 for the full 90 minutes, it may have been a different story.
In attack they have one of the tallest strikers in the football world. Zigic, who stands almost at 6 and a half feet tall, can be a handful for any defence, and his ability to intimidate the backline can act as a decoy for other strikers to feed off of him.
While in defence, the Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic is certainly regarded as one of the best men in defence, and can be a key when it comes to holding off the potent German forward line.
It is sure to be one of the most hotly contested games of the World Cup so far, as looking at the two squads, there is no lack of talent and ability. If Germany manage to win, they will book their place in the last 16, while Serbia will also need nothing short of all 3 points in order to stay alive in the World Cup.
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