World Cup Group E guide: Germany and Spain expected to advance
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World Cup Group E guide and odds
The 2022 World Cup is under way and Ladbrokes are producing guides on all eight groups to put you in the picture for the tournament.
You can read all the latest on England and Wales as we provide odds and features on the two nations and also have the latest World Cup winner odds.
Our World Cup Group E guide covers Spain, Germany, Japan and Costa Rica as we take a look at all four nations, dark horses, players to watch and a prediction on where they will finish in the group.
Spain are slight favourites to reach the knockout stage as group winners ahead of Germany but let’s look at their prospects and those of their rivals.
Spain
Spain reached the semi-finals at Euro 2020 last year, but their last two appearances at the World Cup have been underwhelming having failed to get out of the group stage as defending champions in 2014 and four years later they lost a penalty shoot-out to hosts Russia in the round of 16.
La Roja lost their first World Cup qualifier since 1993 in a 2-1 defeat by Sweden, who at that point topped the group by two points with a game in hand but Alvaro Morata’s goal four minutes from time against Janne Andersson’s side ensured they avoided the play-offs in the decisive match in November.
Spain are expected to have plenty of possession as they always do, so their problem revolves around breaking down deep-lying defences.
The clash with Germany could determine which team goes through as group winners, who are likely to face Croatia instead of Belgium.
Head coach: Luis Enrique is not a sentimental coach and omitted Sergio Ramos and Thiago Alcantara from his 26-man squad, although he included respective Brighton and Brentford goalkeepers Robert Sanchez and David Raya, although Unai Simon is expected to be between the sticks. Luis Enrique has stuck with a 4-3-3 system throughout his career.
Players to watch: Spain have technically brilliant players but lack a clinical finisher like Raul or David Villa, so all eyes will be on their youthful midfielders Pedri and Gavi, teenagers making waves at Barcelona, while Ansu Fati has also been included in the squad despite injury concerns.
Fixtures:
Costa Rica: Nov 23, 16.00, Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, ITV
Germany: Nov 27, 19.00, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, BBC
Japan: Dec 1, 19.00, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, ITV
World Cup Group E winner odds: 10/11
Verdict: There is very little to choose between the two group favourites, but Spain have a good recent record against Germany, including a 6-0 drubbing in the Nations League two years ago.
Prediction: Group winners
Germany
The four-time champions embarrassingly finished bottom of their group in Russia, losing to Mexico and South Korea either side of a last-gasp victory against Sweden.
Joachim Low’s troubled reign continued as they equalled their heaviest ever loss in a 6-0 Nations League defeat by Spain and four months later lost 2-1 at home to North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying.
Low’s final act as manager came at last year’s Euro 2020 when Die Mannschaft scraped into the knockout stage courtesy of Leon Goretzka’s late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Hungary, but they lost 2-0 to England in the round of 16 at Wembley.
Hansi Flick took over as head coach and oversaw seven successive World Cup qualifying victories, but has won just one of the last seven games in the build-up to the tournament, including two draws with England and a home defeat by Hungary in the Nations League in which they finished third in the group.
Head coach: Flick won the Champions League once and Bundesliga twice when head coach at Bayern Munich, but is under scrutiny after a lean spell in recent months.
Players to watch: Germany have plenty of star players in their squad which is made up mainly of players from Bayern Munich, so the likes of Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka and Jamal Musiala are expected to shine, but Kai Havertz could lead the line in the absence of Timo Werner who has been ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury.
Fixtures:
Japan: Nov 23, 13.00, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, ITV
Spain: Nov 27, 19.00, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, BBC
Costa Rica: Dec 1, 19.00, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, ITV
World Cup Group E winner odds: 1/1
Verdict: Finishing top of the group would mean a likely round-of-16 encounter with Croatia, but Belgium may well be their opponents if they make it through to the knockout stage.
Prediction: Runners-up in the group and an exit in the round of 16
Japan
The Blue Samurai are appearing in their seventh successive World Cup finals and have reached the round of 16 three times, including in 2018 when they went through as group runners-up at the expense of Senegal on fair play points.
However, a first ever quarter-final appearance seemed on the cards when they took a 2-0 lead early in the second half of their round-of-16 tie against the world’s top-ranked team Belgium, who turned the game on its head with two goals in five minutes and broke Japan’s hearts with a winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Japan had a few bumps and bruises during their World Cup qualification campaign, losing to Oman and Saudi Arabia in their first three matches, but six successive wins meant they made it to Qatar comfortably although they missed out on top spot with a 1-1 draw against Vietnam in their final match.
Encouragingly, they only lost 1-0 to a strong Brazil side in a June friendly, but they must get a result against either Spain or Germany to stand a chance of making it into the knockout phase.
Head coach: Hajime Moriyasu took over the reins after the 2018 World Cup where he was assistant to Akira Nishino and led Japan to the 2019 Asian Cup final which they lost to Qatar.
Players to watch: Speedy Reims winger Junya Ito was Japan’s top scorer in the third round with four goals and his assists will be crucial to their hopes of success. Takumi Minamino could also have an impact in a 4-2-3-1 formation in which Arsenal left-back Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to play in the centre of defence.
Fixtures:
Germany: Nov 23, 13.00, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, ITV
Costa Rica: Nov 27, 10.00, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, ITV
Spain: Dec 1, 19.00, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, ITV
World Cup Group A winner odds: 12/1
World Cup group qualifying odds: 5/2
World Cup odds: 250/1
Verdict: If the group stage-round of 16 pattern from their last six World Cup appearances continues, Japan are expected to be fighting it out for third spot with Costa Rica.
Prediction: Third place in the group
Costa Rica
Hopes of Los Ticos appearing in their fifth World Cup finals in the last six editions seemed over when they won just one of their first seven CONCACAF qualifiers, but a remarkable 11-match unbeaten run meant they just missed out on automatic qualification on goal difference.
Wins against USA, group winners Canada and a draw against Mexico ensured Costa Rica ultimately finished fourth in the table, but still had to negotiate an intercontinental play-off against New Zealand to make it to Qatar.
Costa Rica’s best World Cup performance came in Brazil eight years ago when they famously beat Uruguay and Italy before drawing 0-0 with England to finish top of a difficult group and then beat Greece on penalties in the round of 16 only to lose a shoot-out with the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
In Russia, back-to-back defeats against Serbia and Brazil meant they were already out of contention by the time of their final game, a 2-2 draw with Switzerland.
Head coach: Luis Fernando Suarez led Ecuador to the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup and in 2014 was at the helm of the Honduras team who lost all three group games.
Players to watch: PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas, a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, is the main man, but Costa Rica will need more from their younger players like Gerson Torres and Anthony Contreras. Sunderland’s teenage winger Jewison Bennette scored a couple of goals in a 2-2 draw with South Korea in September and could make an impact.
Fixtures:
Spain: Nov 23, 16.00, Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, ITV
Japan: Nov 27, 10.00, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, ITV
Germany: Dec 1, 19.00, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, ITV
World Cup Group E winner odds: 50/1
World Cup group qualifying odds: 12/1
World Cup odds: 500/1
Verdict: Suarez is expected to play with a back five against Spain and Germany, but their main focus will be on the Japan game. Win that and it could be all to play for when they meet Flick’s men.
Prediction: Fourth place in the group
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
