Group E is one of the more competitive groups in the tournament. Spain and Germany are the favorites to make it out of the Group. Although the two teams have different experiences, they have the same level of team chemistry. Most of Germany’s team consists of Bayern Munich players, while Spain’s team consists mostly of Barcelona players.
Germany, who fell short of their expectations in Euro 2020, will be looking to win its fifth World Cup and tie Brazil for the most cup wins. Spain’s coach, Luis Enrique, will be looking to prove that he made the right call when excluding some world-class veterans to make room for the new generation of Spanish players.
Group E and players to watch
- Spain ranked 7th
- Gavi (Barcelona)
- Pedri (Barcelona)
- Alvaro Morata (Atléticio Madrid)
- Costa Rica ranked 31st
- Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense)
- Celso Borges (Alajuelense)
- Joel Campbell (León)
- Johan Venegas (Alajuelense)
- Germany ranked 11th
- Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
- Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
- Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
- Japan ranked 24th
- Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
- Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04)
- Yuva Osako (Vissel Kobe)
I think Germany is likely to come out on top of the Group. They have the most experienced squad in this group and are a tough team with fast pace and skill. I’ve noticed that when Germany scores their first goal, they are more likely to score a second than the opposing team is to score a goal and tie the game.
Spain is the second favorite team as well as one of the youngest teams. Coach Enrique has made it a point to help mentor the new generation of Spanish footballers. Spain is a good team, but their lack of experience on the big stage could cost them when they get to the knockout stages.
Japan is always a strong team. They made it to the Round of 16 last cup where they lost 2-3 to Belgium in stoppage time. Japan is a very technical team with incredible stamina. I think they have the best chance of sneaking out if they can beat Costa Rica and tie Spain which they are more than capable of doing.
Costa Rica is a relatively new team to the World Cup, qualifying for their first one back in 1990. They are a good team and are usually underestimated. Their best performance was in the 2014 World Cup when they would make it to the quarterfinals before falling 3-4 to the Netherlands on penalties. They have the unfortunate luck of being stuck in a group with two powerhouses, but they are here to play and have the experience and wiles to make it tough for the other group members.
Check out the next article on futbolhijo.com for Group F’s breakdown and analysis.
Photo: Luis Enrique, Shutterstock, by imagestockdesign, ID: 646921480