Germany vs Sweden
Venue: Fisht Olympic Stadium
Kick off: 7pm
Germany will be looking for their first win of the 2018 World Cup when they take on Sweden in their second Group F game this evening.
The reigning champions lost 1-0 to Mexico in their opening match, and have not lost back-to-back matches in the same World Cup finals since 1958 – when they lost to Sweden in the semi-final and France in the third-place match.
Joachim Low has promised that there will be a reaction from Germany, and says he is unlikely to make wholesale changes to a side that helped win the competition in 2014.
“It was no doubt a painful defeat against Mexico. We made many mistakes but we have processed them, talked about them and trained to avoid them,” he said.
“There is absolute focus and concentration and we must deliver. There will be a reaction (to the Mexico defeat).
“Why should that [changing the XI] be the case? The fundamental trust for these players, who have played for years on a good level, will not be destroyed with one game.”
Sweden were 1-0 winners against South Korea in their first game and could make the last 16 with a victory, which coach Janne Andersson has called ‘extraordinary’.
“This is really what you spend your whole career and life working towards. It is an extraordinary opportunity to be involved in a World Cup match like this,” he said.
“Whether we knock out Germany is one thing, but we have a chance to qualify and that is extraordinary.”