The first game from the Group F at 2018 FIFA World Cup is set for Sunday, June 17th, when Germany faces Mexico at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, and the bettors and soccer fans both are excited to see the defending champions in action against one of the toughest teams from America. Germany is a big -225 favorite to win this clash, according to BetDSI Sportsbook, but Mexico is always a quite difficult opponent to beat, so we should see a tremendous match with plenty of scoring chances, while bookmakers set the odds even at -111 on the Over/Under 2.5 Goals.
Germany vs. Mexico
3-Way: 1: Germany -225; X: +300 Draw; 2: Mexico +700 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Germany -120; Mexico +110
Total +2.5: Over -111; Under +111
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +100/-133
GERMANY
Only two teams have managed to retain the World Cup title so far – Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962, so more than a half of century later Germany will try to make this achievement after dominating over their rivals in Brazil four years ago. Die Mannschaft has won all ten games in the qualifying round with a terrific 43:4 goal difference, while nine out of these ten tilts had at least three goals in the total. However, since then, Germany couldn’t get a victory in five friendly matches, recording three draws against Spain 1-1, France 2-2, and England 0-0, whilst losing to Brazil 1-0 and Austria 2-1, so the manager Joachim Low is certainly a bit worried ahead of the opening clash against Mexico.
Low made a huge surprise when he’s omitted Leroy Sane from the World Cup squad, as the talented winger had a great season with Manchester City, earning the award for the best young player of the English Premier League. This could be a big mistake, as Julian Draxler was more on the bench than in the starting eleven for Paris SG, while Marco Reus is prone to injuries, so Low could easily find himself in a trouble. The captain Manuel Neuer will be on the plane to Russia despite missing the whole season due to an injury, but the experienced goalkeeper’s presence is essential for this Germany team. The scorer of ten World Cup goals Thomas Muller will lead the frontline, although he had a poor season with Bayern Munich, so the fans expect a lot from the young striker Timo Werner.
MEXICO
El Tri will participate in the seventh straight World Cup tournament, and after ending all previous six journeys in the Round of 16, Mexico will try to finally take that one step further this summer in Russia. Once again, Mexico was a dominant force in the CONCACAF qualifying group, finishing on the top of the table with a 6-3-1 record and a goal difference of 16:7, way ahead of their closest rivals. In the last six friendly matches, Mexico has recorded four wins, one draw, and one defeat against Croatia, while keeping the clean sheet in five out of these six encounters.
Mexico is a pacey team with a couple of excellent players among the squad, but they mostly rely on a responsible teamwork, preferring to play in a fluid 4-3-3 formation with a lot of position changes during the game. The 29-year old playmaker Giovani dos Santos will be a creative force in the midfield along with an experienced Andres Guardado whose set-pieces taking often leads to dangerous scoring opportunities. The striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will be a main force in the final third, as Hernandez is a pure fox in the box, always dangerous for rivals’ goalkeepers, while the skillful winger Carlos Vela could be a secret weapon at this World Cup.
Germany vs. Mexico – Match and Odds Breakdown
On last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup Germany and Mexico faced each other in the Semi-Finals where Germany won 4-1, even playing with a B team. However, Mexico had a ball on their feet for 60% of the time, taking 26 shots toward Germany’s net and missing some excellent scoring opportunities. This time, Germany will play with their best eleven, so the defending champions should get another convincing victory. Hereof, betting on the spread sounds like a logical choice, while beating the lines on totals also can make some decent wages.
I believe this game cannot be finished in a nil-nil draw, as Mexico doesn’t have a sturdy defense to sit back for 90 minutes. I also consider Mexico as a smart team who will take any chance to come forward, while their quickness can make some damage on the counter. Germany hasn’t been on the highest level recently, but they have so many options among the squad to use against Mexico and score a couple of goals here. They are physically much stronger in aerial duels than Mexicans who should struggle to keep their net intact, particularly after set pieces situations.
Therefore, I’m backing the over, as I expect to see an open-flow game with plenty of excitements, while the bettors should consider betting on Germany to win with a bigger margin and also check out all lines and markets on BetDSI Sportsbook.
The Pick: Over 2.5 Goals (-111)
