Joachim Low's men were held to a 1-1 draw by Chile when they last took to the field, with Lars Stindl's effort cancelling out Alexis Sanchez's early goal on Thursday night. That result means that Germany reside in second spot heading into the final round of fixtures, which could potentially see them handed a tougher draw in the knockout stage. Before that, though, they must ensure they pick up at least a point in their meeting with Cameroon, who pose enough of a threat to keep Germany on their toes ahead of the meeting at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi.
Cameroon have not yet been eliminated from the tournament, but their tally of a single point means that nothing less than a win will do against the might of Germany. That, needless to say, is a daunting task for Hugo Broos' men, who may nevertheless fancy their chances of digging in and frustrating their illustrious opponents for a portion of the match. Third place was always likely to be the more realistic target for the Indomitable Lions, however, so they would probably not be overly disappointed with a point in this one.
Stindl’s goal against Chile should be enough for him to keep his place at the top of the pitch, although Sandro Wagner and Timo Werner are also pushing for the sole central striker spot. Julian Draxler will be essential as an inside forward – the Paris Saint-Germain man is one of the most experienced members of this experimental squad – while Liverpool’s Emre Can provides balance alongside Sebastian Rudy in midfield. More generally, Low looks set to continue employing the 3-4-2-1 formation, with a backline consisting of Niklas Sule, Matthias Ginter and Shkodran Mustafi.
Cameroon will also stick with the same shape and approach – a 4-3-3 formation with a focus on sitting deep, ceding possession and springing forward at speed on the counter-attack. A front trio of Benjamin Moukandjo, Vincent Aboubakar and Christian Bassogog possesses speed and trickery aplenty, while Sebastien Siani is an important player for his country in the middle of the park. A centre-half pairing of Adolf Teikeu and Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui will have to stand up to the considerable German challenge, while goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa will be a busy man between the sticks.
It would not be too much of a surprise to see Cameroon hold out at 0-0 for a while, but Germany’s quality will probably shine through as the game wears on. A victory to nil for Low’s charges is one option worth considering, while a 2-0 triumph could be a good option in the correct scoreline market. As far as an anytime goalscorer is concerned, Draxler – who found the back of the net on 10 occasions at club level last term – is certainly one of the most tempting candidates from a betting perspective.
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