Germany are expected to top Group F

World Cup Group F: Predictions, best bets and fixtures

Football

Sat June 16, 2018 · 7y ago

Reigning champions Germany will get their defence underway in a group containing Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.

We have all the latest odds, fixture list, verdict and team-by-team guides right here.

Odds

Fixtures

Sunday June 17 - Germany vs Mexico (4pm, BBC), Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

Monday June 18 - Sweden vs South Korea (1pm, ITV), Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

Saturday June 23 - South Korea vs Mexico (4pm, ITV), Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don

Saturday June 23 - Germany vs Sweden (7pm, ITV), Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi

Wednesday June 27 - South Korea vs Germany (3pm, BBC), Kazan Arena, Kazan

Wednesday June 27 - Mexico vs Sweden (3pm, BBC), Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg (pictured, below)

All times stated in BST, to see more about the locations click here for our stadium guide

Verdict

Another case of a standout winner, it has to be a question of who will join Germany in advancing to the knockout stages.

Joachim Low’s side are one of the tournament favourites, and they always step it up in big competitions, so anything but Die Mannschaft topping the group would present a great shock.

Mexico and Sweden look to be the ones battling it out for second, but South Korea will make a case after losing just three of their last 12 games.

Sweden are not quite the same team without Zlatan Ibrahimovic's inspiration them up front, struggling through qualifying and beating Italy in the play-offs, and their form has not been convincing since.

Mexico, meanwhile, have drawn 3-3 with Belgium and beaten Poland in the last year and they should have enough to get through this group behind Germany.

Group F Prediction: (9/2 with Sky Bet)

1. Germany

2. Mexico

3. South Korea

4. Sweden

Best bets

Mexico to finish as runner up at 15/8

Brazil, France and Germany each to win all their group games at 20/1

Squads

Germany | Full profile

Click on the image for all you need to know about Germany ahead of the World Cup in Russia

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Paris St-Germain)

Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Niklas Sule (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Paris St-Germain), Leon Goretska (Schalke), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich)

Strikers: Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)

Mexico | Full profile

Click on the image for all you need to know about Mexico ahead of the World Cup in Russia

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul).

Defenders: Carlos Salcedo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Diego Reyes (Porto), Hector Moreno (Real Sociedad), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Edson Alvarez (America), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey), Miguel Layun (Sevilla).

Midfielders: Rafael Marquez (Atlas), Hector Herrera (Porto), Jonathan Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Giovani Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Forwards: Javier Hernandez (West Ham), Raul Jimenez (Benfica), Oribe Peralta (America), Jesus Manuel Corona (Porto), Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC), Javier Aquino (Tigres), Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven).

Sweden | Full profile

Click on the image for all you need to know about Sweden ahead of the World Cup

Goalkeepers: Robin Olsen (Copenhagen), Karl-Johan Johnsson (Guingamp), Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Swansea).

Defenders: Mikael Lustig (Celtic), Victor Lindelof (Manchester United), Andreas Granqvist (Krasnador), Martin Olsson (Swansea), Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen), Filip Helander, Emil Krafth (both Bologna), Pontus Jansson (Leeds United).

Midfielders: Sebastian Larsson (Hull), Albin Ekdal (Hamburg), Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig), Gustav Svensson (Seattle Sounders), Oscar Hiljemark (Genoa), Viktor Claesson (Krasnador), Marcus Rohden (Crotone), Jimmy Durmaz (Toulouse).

Forwards: Marcus Berg (Al Ain), John Guidetti (Alaves), Ola Toivonen (Toulouse), Isaac Kiese Thelin (Waasland-Beveren).

South Korea | Full profile

Click on the image for all you need to know about South Korea ahead of the World Cup in Russia

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu (Vissel Kobe), Kim Jin-hyeon (Cerezo Osaka), Cho Hyun-woo (Daegu FC).

Defenders: Kim young-gwon (Guangzhou Evergrande), Jang Hyun-soo (FC Tokyo), Jung Seung-hyun (Sagan Tosu), Yun Yong-sun (Seongnam FC), Oh Ban-suk (Jeju United), Kim Min-woo (Sangju Sangmu), Park Joo-ho (Ulsan Hyundai), Hong Chul (Sangju Sangmu), Go Yo-han (FC Seoul), Lee Yong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors).

Midfielders: Ki Sung-yueng (Swansea City), Jung Woo-young (Vissel Kobe), Ju Se-jong (Asan Mugunghwa FC), Koo Ja-cheol (FC Augsburg), Lee Jae-sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Lee Seung-woo (Hellas Verona), Moon Seon-min (Incheon United).

Forwards: Kim Shin-wook (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Hwang Hee-chan (FC Red Bull Salzburg).