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- Prediction: Germany 1-3 Chile
- Key Factor: Weak Germany's defense
- Players to Watch: Julian Draxler and Arturo Vidal
Both Teams Won Their First Game
There are a lot of chances that this match will be a repetition before the finals as both Chile and Germany are the favorites to lift the trophy.
Germany, the third best team in the world according to the FIFA's rankings, had some serious problems against Australia in the opening game of the Confederations Cup. Yes, Germany won 3-2, but they did not play like world's champions, at all. Of course, we must remember that players such as Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Marco Reus and Mesut Ozil were all left out of the squad because Joachim Low wanted to test his youngsters and rest the veterans. However, the fact is that Germany's defense sucked against Australia.
Youngsters like Kimmich and Rudiger failed to maintain the discipline and allowed the Australians to score two goals in some bizarre situations. With such a terrible defense I cannot see Germany standing a chance against Chile. However, Germany proved that they have plenty of talented young players to lead the offense. I was most impressed with Julian Draxler, the 23-year-old PSG midfielder, who made some bad-ass passes and controlled the pace as a true professional.
Chile also started the competition with some struggles. It took them 81 minutes to score a goal (Arturo Vidal) against Cameroon, and the match ended 2-0 with late clincher from Eduardo Vargas. Of course, the Chilean fans were happy about those important three points, but I bet that not one of them were convinced with Chile's performance. In their defense, Cameroon was playing unexpectedly well, especially at the beginning of the second half. However, the world's NO. 4, 2015 and 2016 South America's champions, could've played much better against a pretty mediocre Cameroon team.
There was one episode late in the first half when Eduardo Vargas scored a goal, but it was denied after VAR (video assistant referee) decided that the goal was scored from an outside. There is lots of talk surrounding VAR technology in the football league lately as it slows down the game, but it also ensures justice. I am only sure of one thing - Frank Lampard is supporting VAR with all his heart (remember his equalizer against Germany in the world cup when the goal was denied by a blind referee).
Anyway, the biggest problem Chile had against Cameroon was converting their chances. Eduardo Vargas, alone, had like five well opportunities to score in the first half, but he always failed. All the other attacking players failed to close on some perfect passes as well. I am sure that Chile won't make those mistakes again and if Germany allows them anywhere close to their goal, the Chileans will score.
What Shall We Expect From This Match?
Germany versus Chile will be an epic match as I can see both of those teams competing for the trophy next year in the World Cup. With Alexis Sanchez on the pitch, Chile becomes one of the best attacking teams in the world. I mean, Eduardo Vargas, Alexis Sanchez, and Arturo Vidal should be the three arguments which end this discussion. Sadly, the defensive line-up is not as great as the offense, and there are no superstars to cement the holes which other players miss. All the back line, except Isla, Medel, and Bravo, play in South America. I personally don't follow South American club's football, so I have too little information about those players, but from what I saw in International football, those defenders are good but not great.
The Same story applies to Germany. I have already written about Low's plan to test his youngsters in this tournament. What does it mean? Well, we don't have much information about this team as they have little to no experience playing together. However, from what I saw, this German team is not quite ready yet to compete against the best teams in the world. I expect all the youngsters to choke when they see Chileans lining up against them. Well, maybe only Julian Draxler has enough experience to keep his calmness against the world's best players. That said, the talent in Germany's team is pretty obvious, and I expect them to win many trophies in upcoming years.
As for this match, I expect to see an attacking football game with lots of chances. Even though the bookies think that it is a 50/50 match, I see Chile as clear favorites to win. Germany has nothing to offer against this mature and experienced Chilean team, and I would be very surprised if Chile fails to win this game.