Germany takes on Portugal in the Group G opener of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Will Cristiano Ronaldo be enough to take down the German defence?
Maybe not! Germany always prepares meticulously for its opening match at a tournament and has the results to show for it - winning 12 of its 17 World Cup openers and losing only once, 2-1 to Algeria in 1982. Germany bounced back to reach the final that year. Coach Joachim Loew has made it clear that his team intends on playing high-tempo football right from the start and wear down the Portuguese in the midday heat and humidity of Salvador, Monday.
Loew said that he's well aware of the threat Portugal can be to Germany, when at their best, calling them "world champion in counterattacking."
"They are ranked just behind us at No. 4 (Germany is No. 2), and they are not just about Ronaldo," Loew said, according to Soccer Souls. "Portugal is an extremely dangerous team."
Also, Portugal hasn't had much luck against Germany in previous encounters. In the 2006 World Cup, Germany beat Portugal 3-1 for third place. They also went on to win the 2008 European Championship, beating the Portuguese 3-2. It also attained a 1-0 victory over Portugal at the start of its Euro 2012 campaign.
Ronaldo's fitness following a knee injury has also cast doubts on the country's win in the upcoming game. Ronaldo is Portugal's key player. However, it would be sheer stupidity to shun him out completely. He's the kind that scores 50 goals in a season. Surely that's bound to count for something.
Germany too hasn't had it cut out easy for them. Entering into the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the country's squad was plagued with plenty of injury worries, forcing Loew to tinker with his line-up. Captain Philipp Lahm, usually right back, is likely to move into a defensive midfield role. Sami Khedira is expected to be the other defensive midfielder but he lacks match practice after missing six months with a knee injury. Lahm himself missed most of the training camp with an ankle problem, while Bastian Schweinsteiger will probably be on the bench as he has been nursing a knee injury as well. With the injured Marco Reus ruled out of the World Cup, Lukas Podolski could return to the starting 11 as an attacking midfielder. Striker Miroslav Klose will also be looking to break the World Cup goals record of 15 held by Brazil's Ronaldo. Klose currently trails by two. Unfortunately, he won't get a shot at the record Monday because he's most likely to be on the bench.
If Ronaldo is at his best, predictions are that the game will end 1-1, according to IB Times. However, if the Germans manage to get the better of the Portuguese, they may just steal a 3-1 victory.
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