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Group E of the World Cup consists of multiple winners Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia as part of the European contingent, and Costa Rica from the CONCACAF qualifiers.
Considering the other groupings, the match between Switzerland and Brazil will be super important, as the second placed team in the group will have to face Group F toppers (Germany, most likely) in the RO16.
The group is fairly straight-forward at this time, with Brazil being clear favorites to be eventual winners. The second placed team will be a close fight between Switzerland and Serbia, with Costa Rica playing the role of spoilers.
Most likely to go through to the RO16: Brazil, close call between Switzerland and Costa Rica
#1 Brazil
The last time Brazil was not a favorite to win the World Cup was in 1929, when the concept of the 'World Cup' hadn't yet been founded. Since then, Brazil has always been pointed to as possible winners, and this might be their best chance in the last few attempts.
Brazil thrashed their way though the CONMEBOL qualifiers, finishing a massive 10 points ahead of runners-up Uruguay and destroying them 4-1 in the process. Brazil was also the first team to book their place in Russia, and are massive favorites to win in Russia.
Coach: Tite
Tite's Brazil transformed from a team that might be on course to miss the WC, to winning the qualifiers with incredible ease, to entering the tournament as clear favorites to reach at least the final. His influence on the team has been nothing short of extraordinary.
When Tite took over from Dunga, Brazil were 6th on the table, and all of Brazil was waiting for the inevitable. 9 straight wins from then on, and in an incredible fashion restored Brazil to their usual position at the top. There has been no stopping them ever since.
During his successful stint at Corinthians, Tite was famous for his defensive discipline and he has reciprocated that at the national team. The availability of naturally talented attackers makes the job easier for him, as Brazil has individuals who can win games on their own.
The goalkeeper position is stacked for Brazil, with Roma's Alisson getting the nod ahead of Manchester City's Ederson.
The fact that Ederson will not be getting into the starting XI after an excellent season is enough proof of Alisson's quality, and Brazil will have a brilliant keeper in goal for them.
The defense is a man back-line consisting of Danilo, Marquinhos, Miranda and Marcelo. Surprisingly, Thiago Silva is not a sure starter for the team, and will fight it out with fellow PSG mate Marquinhos for the CB position.
The loss of Dani Alves is a concern for Brazil, as Alves is their preferred right back. Despite Danilo being an able back-up, he is not as useful when going forward. Another option is Corinthians' Fagner, but Tite has indicated that Danilo will be the starter.
Brazil usually plays a three-man midfield - comprising of Paulinho, Coutinho and Casemiro against more defensive teams. As Barcelona fans know, Paulinho has the knack of showing up in unexpected places at the right time and can score goals regularly.
Casemiro will play a role similar to that at Real Madrid, while Coutinho works as the play-maker from the back. Against offensive teams, Fernandinho gets into the side at the expense of Coutinho, who can come in as a super-sub or start as the right winger.
The attack features Jesus at the centre and Neymar on the left, and the two will play almost all minutes. The right wing position is contested between Chelsea's Willian and Juventus' Douglas Costa, with Willian being Tite's preferred player.
Willian's work rate is better than Douglas Costa's and for that reason, Willian will play against more attacking teams. Liverpool's Firmino will act as the back-up for Jesus, and will play against teams that like to hold the ball. Despite being a striker, he is a very good tackler and will add a new dimension to the side.
A rotating supporting cast of Fred, Taison and Augusto in attack against tired legs late in the game is also a very lucrative opportunity, one Brazil will look to exploit so very often.
Player to watch out for: Neymar
Brazil's golden boy has spent almost half of the season on the sidelines after an injury, but he is back in time for the World Cup, fitter and fresher than everyone else around him.
Before the injury, Neymar was every bit the player he was rumored to be and the WC might seal his promise as the heir to Messi and Ronaldo.
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#2 Switzerland
The Swiss might have stayed away from the world wars, but have been regulars at the World Cup for sometime now, and this will be their fourth straight appearance at the WC finals.
Switzerland did not have a direct passage to Russia, and had to go through the play-offs before being assured of a place in the final 32. However they were very dominant in qualifying, finishing with the same 27 points out of a possible 30 as leaders Portugal.
Coach: Vladimir Petkovic
After managing a string of Swiss clubs as well as Lazio, Petkovic was handed the job in 2014. Since then, Switzerland have qualified for the Euro 2016 and the 2018 WC, thereby proving their faith in him was not without reason.
This will be his first appearance at the biggest stage of football, and how he goes about his job remains to be seen. Switzerland are expected to go through to the RO16 from this group, and Petkovic has enough quality around him to make things happen.
All of Switzerland's selected keepers play in the Bundesliga, but Monchengladbach's Sommer is expected to get the nod over Dortmund's Buerki. Sommer is a very solid keeper, and isn't prone to much errors like Buerki and Switzerland will be right to stick with him.
Captain Lichtsteiner and Milan's Rodriguez are the full-back pairings in the starting XI, but the CB pairing is still not fully decided. It will be 2 out of Schaer, Akanji, Djourou and Elvedi - with the first two the preferred players, and the other two as their back-ups.
The midfield will see Arsenal's Xhaka as the holding midfielder, along with Atalanta's Freuler as the other DM. Zakaria and Behrami will also be competing to play as the central midfielders, and one of them might get a look in at the expense of Freuler.
Stoke City's Shaqiri is the number 10 in the team, along with Embolo and Gavranovic as the wingers. Shaqiri might even be shifted to the right depending upon how Embolo is fit, and accommodate another number 10 in his place.
Monchengladbach's Drmic is also in the reckoning for a spot, and will fight hard to make it onto the team. Finally, Benfica's Seferovic is the sole striker up-front for the Swiss.
A very hard worker, Seferovic is one of the players who is always making a move into the box, but his finishing lets him down during the crucial moments.
Player to watch out for: Xherdan Shaqiri
Switzerland's midfield is not the most creative in the world, and do not have a lot of goals in them.
You can expect to see a lot of 1-0 or 0-0 scorelines if the Swiss play their natural game, and Shaqiri is the only one capable of changing that.
Shaqiri will feel right at home, as it is basically an extension of his season with Stoke. A sharp playmaker, Shaqiri is capable of making things happen out of nothing, and has a minimum of one banger at every major tournament.
#3 Costa Rica
Costa Rica made heads turn in the 2014 World Cup, by storming into the quarter-finals before losing out to the Dutch in shootouts. This edition will see Costa Rica as one of the strongest teams of the CONCACAF group.
Costa Rica qualified as the runner-up in the CONCACAF qualifiers, just behind Mexico and ahead of the likes of Panama and USA. Placed in Group E, Costa Rica are more than capable of making a surprise entry into the RO16, surprising Switzerland in the process.
Coach: Oscar Ramirez
The name might make him sound like a stereotypical Mexican, but was a midfielder for Costa Rica, who has spent most of his coaching career back home. He is a predominantly defensive coach, who will look to grind out results.
Ramirez took his spot at the helm only in 2015, after their coach of the last campaign was sacked by the FA. The team he has selected is pretty identical to the one from 2014, and a repeat of that heroics is not off the cards.
The goalkeeper position is one Costa Rica has no problem whatsoever with, as Real Madrid's Keylor Navas serves as captain as well. Navas has turned into one of the best keepers in the world at the moment, and will be instrumental to their fortune.
The general consensus among the Costa Rica fans is that if it were not morally reprehensible to play a 8-1-1 formation, Ramirez totally would. But since it is, the team settles for a 5-4-1 or a 5-3-2 depending upon the opposition.
Gonzalez, Acosta and Watson combine to form the three CB line, with Celtic's Gamboa and one of Matarrita/Oviedo playing as the wing backs. Sporting's Bryan Ruiz, and Bolanos serve as the attacking wingers, while Guzman and Borges are the two defensive midfielders.
When needed, Ramirez switches the two DMs with two attacking midfielders, but the team thrives mostly on solidarity in defense. LAFC's Urena is the sole striker up-front, with Betis' Joel Campbell coming on as an impact substitute.
The lack of options for scoring goals is Costa Rica's biggest weakness, and will be the difference between progressing further into the tournament and exiting early. Urena is not a known goalscorer, so the wingers will have to come good for the team.
Player to watch out for: Kendall Watson
Standing at an impressive 6 ft 5 inches, Watson is a force on the field both literally and metaphorically. Watson was the one who scored the goal that sent Los Ticos to the World Cup, a 95th minute equaliser against Honduras.
The 30 year old is currently playing in the MLS with the Vancouver Whitecaps, and is an integral part of the team. He was selected as part of the MLS Best XI of the season in 2015 and most recently in 2017.
#4 Serbia
Serbia might not be the best team at this tournament, but they are the tallest squad (average height of 185.6 cm) and if that isn't something to be proud of, I don't know what is.
Their height will be their biggest advantage of all, but in a stacked group, the chances of them getting out are not too good.
Serbia qualified for the WC as winners of their European qualification group, ahead of the Republic of Ireland and even Wales. Serbia has an on-off relationship with the cup, and after missing out in 2014, this will be their comeback into the WC.
Coach: Mladen Krstajic
This is where Serbia's biggest trouble is. Muslin, the manager who was responsible for getting Serbia qualified to Russia was sacked by their FA and Krstajic who was on the coaching team was promoted as head coach.
The sad thing is that Krstajic hasn't had a lot of time to get things sorted out and the WC will be his first competitive fixture with the team.
Not many are confident about a brand-new manager at the WC, but some are optimistic that beginner's luck might swing the tides in his favor.
Under the new manager, it is not clear as to who will play and in what role, but a 4-2-3-1 with Stojkovic as the keeper is expected to be played.
The back-line has a fantastic mix of maturity and experience, with Kolarov and Ivanovic as part of the old guard.
Partnering them will be Rukavina and Milenkovic/Spajic. Kolarov will be coming on the back of one of his best seasons at AS Roma, and will be looking to get forward at every turn.
Ivanovic and Rukavina are on the other side of the old spectrum, and this might be their last appearance at the WC. Granted they have the experience, but the question is if they can withstand attacks from much younger and faster opponents.
The midfield is one of the more stacked ones in this edition, and Serbia has a few match-winners in their own right. Manchester United's Nemanja Matic will take on his familiar role of DM once more, alongside Crystal Palace's Milivojevic - both of whom have had fantastic seasons in the PL.
Playing as the number 10 will be Lazio's Milinkovic-Savic, another player who is coming on the back of an excellent season. He is heavily on United's radar, and what bigger stage than this do you need to show your future employers that you have what it takes?
Assisting him from the wings are Southampton's Tadic and Hamburg's Kostic, with more -ic's around them to make things happen. Playing as the lone striker will be Fulham's golden boy Mitrovic.
On loan from Newcastle, Mitrovic has turned into something of a fan favourite at Fulham already, and Fulham would like to bring him in on a full-time basis.
This WC could not have come at a better time for the Serbian, as a good performance here will definitely improve his cult following.
Player to watch out for: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
It was a close call between Mitrovic and him, but SMS (for want of a shorter name) is one of the most promising players right now, and has the necessary orchestra around him to make Serbia do more than they are expected to.
At 6'3", Milinkovic-Savic is as intimidating as he is hard to pronounce. If reports are to be believed, the reason that led to the sacking of the previous coach was his lack of use of him during the qualifiers, and it is safe to say that Krstajic will make more than enough use.
Seriously, how good do you have to be to get your coach sacked for not playing you?
