Top spot in Group B will be at stake when Germany and Chile take on each other in the Confederations Cup.
The first round of fixtures saw the expected results as Germany beat Australia while Chile did their bit to keep up with the Germans after picking up maximum points against AFCON winners Cameroon.
While it was easy-pickings for the South American outfit, die Mannschaft were given a stern fight by Australia, and won a thrilling game of football by a 3-2 scoreline. The world champions did not look assured defensively, and ended up conceding two avoidable goals.
They will now face their toughest test of the competition thus far when they take on Chile, who are one of the favourites to lift the Confederations Cup. The South American side is extremely prolific in the final third, and could take the game to the world champions.
Team News and Tactics
Germany
Despite opting for a third-string side for this competition, Joachim Low’s men are among the front-runners to win the Confederations Cup, and a win against Chile could go a long way in proving that they are contenders.
While Germany survived a scare against Australia, Low is confident that the team is unruffled and that they are ready for any challenges that come their way in the upcoming games of the tournament.
In goal, Bernd Leno had an evening to forget last time he took up stations between the sticks for Germany, but he has received the backing of the head-coach, and is likely to continue against Chile.
A back-three has been heavily deployed in Europe this past season, but Low did not follow suit and chose to revert to his tried and trusted 4-2-3-1 system. However, that left his side lacking in certain areas of the pitch, and he could deploy a 3-5-2 for this contest.
At the heart of the German defence, Shkodran Mustafi is expected to start as he has the experience of playing in a back three for Arsenal. The extremely versatile Joshua Kimmich along with hard-tackling defender Antonio Rudiger are likely to partner him.
Low could use the lack of pace of Chile’s full-backs by placing quick and agile players as wing-backs for the game on Thursday. Julian Brandt and Jonas Hector could be used to stretch the game to the opposition, and give the likes of Isla and Beausejour a run for their money.
Sandro Wagner had a number of chances to find the back of the net against Australia, but had a tough time in front of goal. His movement was spectacular, but his final touch let him down. Low will, thus, give Timo Werner a start as he impressed coming off the bench.
Chile
Chile have been playing in a 4-3-3 system for the past few years, and it has been working wonders for them. They look to play out of the back, seize control of the midfield, and work the ball to the attacking trio to get find the back of the net.
Charles Aranguiz has been a long-serving midfield anchor for the American outfit, and is likely to pull the strings from deep. He is a playmaker with impeccable passing skills and an eye for bringing others into the game.
Along with him, Marcelo Diaz and the midfield powerhouse Arturo Vidal are expected to start. While Diaz will primarily shield the back four, Vidal is expected to play a box to box role, and make his presence felt in both thirds of the field.
Defensively, they are expected to be compact with their full-backs Mauricio Isla and Jean Beausejour not pushing further up the field when Chile have possession, but will look to fly up the field during counter-attacks.
Key Stats
- There will be four Bayern Munich representatives in the matchday squads as Arturo Vidal will play for Chile while Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy and Niklas Sule will be playing against the midfielder.
- The last three competitive games between the two sides have all ended up in victories for Die Mannschaft.
- There have been 39 goals scored in Germany’s nine previous matches at the FIFA Confederations Cup, an average of 4.3 per game.
- In fact, the four-time world champions have netted 20 goals while conceding 19, which suggests that they are as slack in defence at this competition as they are dangerous in attack.
- That being said, the Germans are on an eleven game unbeaten run, and head into the game as favourites.
Player to watch out for
The Arsenal attacker came on as a substitute against Cameroon, and turned the game around its head with his deft touches and movement. He was a nightmare to the opposition defenders, and was at the peak of his game that evening.
Chile boss Juan Antonio Pizzi will be hoping for more of the same from the front man, as he will be looking on him to find the back of the net against the world champions.
Prediction
Germany 2-2 Chile
This game sees two quality sides square off against each other and goals are almost a certainty. Both teams feature quality attacking players among their ranks, and will be looking to nullify the opposition defenders.
Germany have been shaky at the back, and equally prolific going forward, and it could be down their defenders if they are to keep it tidy in the defensive third, and win the game for their side. That will be a tough ask given the likes of Sanchez, Vargas and Vidal in the Chile attack.
