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Group F of the FIFA World Cup 2018 consists of defending champions Germany, and Sweden as part of the European contingent, Mexico from the CONCACAF and Korea Republic as the representatives from Asia.
Four-time winners Germany are expected to top the group, and the second place will be decided by the game between Mexico and Sweden on June 27, with Korea expected to play a passive role in the group.
Mexico usually are strong contenders for going through to the next round, but Sweden was the team that dumped Italy out of the WC, and any team that is good enough to beat Italy deserves a mention.
Most likely to go through to the RO16: Germany, Mexico
#1 Germany
Like Brazil, Germany rarely comes into a tournament without being favorites, and this time around they have the added pressure of being the defending champions as well. Pressure is not something the Germans are new to and will be looking very much forward to defending their title in Russia.
Germany qualified as the winners of their European qualification group, cruising to an 11-point lead over second placed Northern Ireland.
It was not the hardest of groups prior, but Germany still did well to snatch a perfect run - 10 wins out of 10, scoring 43 goals and conceding only four.
Coach: Joachim Low
No introductions are needed for Low, as he has been the coach for the German national team since 2006. This will be his third WC in-charge of Die Elf and his experience in dealing with such high-pressure tournaments will come in handy.
The exclusion of Sane from the final squad has grabbed the headlines, but Low is right to feel that he has put his best squad forward.
The last time a team successfully defended their WC title was in 1962 and this German team has all the quality to make history again.
Manuel Neuer returned to fitness during the most recent international friendlies and it is safe to say that Neuer will start every game in goal for Germany.
As captain, he will be the first name on the team sheet and it is a pity that Barcelona's Marc Andre Ter Stegen will serve as a mere back-up after his brilliant season.
At first look, the team looks considerably weaker than the last edition - no Lahm, no Schweinsteiger, no Klose. But the team is absolutely stacked with quality and there is no reason not to expect them to come good.
A back four of Kimmich, Hummels, Boateng and Hector forms the backline, with the wingbacks constantly helping out in the attack.
Kimmich has been a revelation at Bayern Munich and has managed to fill the enormous boots of Lahm both for club and country.
Hector might be a slightly weaker name compared to the others around him, but Low trusts him enough to start at left back.
The only problem is that Kimmich and Hector are wired more offensively than in defense, and might leave Germany susceptible to counters. However, the CB pairing is as strong as they come and should bail them out.
Toni Kroos and one of Khedira/Gundogan will start as the DMs - and even for a defensive midfield pairing, it is quite attacking.
Khedira will play as workhorse against teams that hold the ball, while Gundogan is more attacking and will play against the defensive sides. Once again, it is the defensive side of things that looks worrying.
Even in the back, there are several good players who are just unlucky that they had to share their time with these players as they could have easily been on the starting XI of most other teams in the tournament.
A three attacking midfield of Ozil as No.10 and Marco Reus and Thomas Muller on the right is downright filthy and is one of the best in world football right now. Throw in Timo Werner up front, and you have what is basically a defender's worst nightmare.
But the biggest advantage for Germany is how they function as a team. Not a bunch of superstars thrown together in haste, but a well-oiled machine whose parts known when and what to do.
Player to watch out for: Thomas Muller
10 goals in the two previous WCs have put Thomas Muller already among the great WC players - and he is currently eighth in the all-time goal-scorers. At 28, it is not out of the ordinary to expect that Muller will even go on to play another WC and beat the 16 goal record.
This season did not begin well for Muller, but the arrival of Heynckes and the looming presence of the WC have turned Muller into a beast during the second half of the season.
Unlike last time, the attack is not overly dependent on Muller, so that might free up things for him mentally. Expect to see Muller light up the tournament on fire, along with the rest of his attacking force.
#2 Mexico
Mexico have always been one of the mainstays of the FIFA World Cup, and have always played a brand of attractive team-intensive football, and it is no different this time. The team might be a little old compared to the previous editions, but Mexico should do enough to edge out Sweden when the two meet.
Mexico qualified as the winners of the final CONCACAF qualifying round, ahead of fellow WC qualifiers Panama and Costa Rica. Mexico conceded the least goals during the run and scored one goal fewer than USA while securing qualification well before the end of all the games.
Coach: Juan Carlos Osorio
Osorio was appointed the coach of the Mexican national team in 2015, and his time there has been full of highs and lows. After a 22-match unbeaten streak, Mexico was defeated 0-7 by Chile in the Copa America, and Osorio issued an official apology to the fans.
As a coach, Osorio is prone to the rotation and is a cause of a headache for the fans and the players. Even when the team is successful, it is not a guarantee that the team will start the next game as well, and it might backfire in the WC.
The Colombian recently refused to renew his contract with Mexico and is most likely to leave after the World Cup.
Many might remember Ochoa for his brilliant performance against Brazil during the last World Cup, and he will once again don the gloves for El Tri. Playing in front of him will be a loosely constructed 4-3-3.
A back four of Layun, Moreno, Reyes and Salcedo is Mexico's strongest defense, but do not be surprised if Osorio makes five or six changes to that line during the progress of the tournament.
In front of that is Rafael Marquez as the Defensive Midfielder, with Porto's Herrera and Real Betis' Guardado as central midfielders.
The flanks are patrolled by PSV's Lozano and LAFC's Carlos Vela. The lone striker up front will be Benfica's Jimenez, as Chicharito has been pushed to the sidelines due to a lack of form and match practice.
Well, this is the team that should play, but nobody knows if it will. Even if they play the first game together, there is a big chance that Osorio changes things up unnecessarily for the second and third.
Will the best team play at the RO16 if Mexico gets through? Surprisingly, Mexican fans are still not sure. It is definitely not a good sign, and this might be the difference between going through and going home.
Player to watch out for: Hirving Lozano
Nicknamed El Chucky after the titular toy demon from the movies, Lozano is Mexico's most important player even though he is only 22. At PSV, he has tormented defenders with his pace and finishing and will play as a more creative player for the National team.
Also, this might be good grounds for the bigger clubs to scout him and thus giving him with greater reason to perform well in Russia.
#3 Sweden
After not being part of the WC for the last three editions, Sweden are finally back and what a road it has been - they have qualified from a group that contained both France and Netherlands, and beat Italy in the final play-off round.
Sweden finished as runners-up of their European qualification round, same on points with the Netherlands but a much better goal difference - thanks to their 8-0 demolition of Luxembourg. In the playoffs against Italy, they held their breaths to squeeze out a 1-0 aggregate win and even a group stage exit is something the Swedes can be proud of.
Coach: Janne Andersson
Andersson is sort of revered by the Swedes for his role in taking the team to the WC. After several poor showings and even worse in terms of tactics, a WC entry is something Sweden has waited for a long time.
In terms of coaching, Andersson has brought the confidence back into the squad, that they too are good enough to belong among the big boys of world football. He has stuck by his decision of leaving Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of the qualifiers and backed it up with dropping Ibrahimovich from the World Cup final squad.
Copenhagen's Robin Olsen starts in goal, with a 4-4-2 formation ahead of him. The defense is very well organized, and they rarely get out of position to let in space for the opposing attackers.
Augustinsson, Lindelof, Granqvist and Lustig are part of the starting XI and form a part of a well-oiled defensive line. While Sweden will be hard to score against, a reprieve for the opponents is that Sweden suffers very much from a dearth of goals.
Hamburg's Ekdal and Hull City's Larsson are the two central midfielders but are not world class by any means. Larsson is 33 and his age shows. Ekdal has played only half the season for Hamburg and has been on-and-off with his injuries.
The right wing is taken up by Viktor Claesson, with Leipzig's Forsberg operating from the left. He is the only source for creativity in the team, and any and all of Sweden's fortunes depend on how well he performs for them.
The two strikers upfront is Berg and Toivonen, but a doom comes over the Swedish fans every time their names are mentioned. They are big, and that is pretty much it. With all these low-points, why is it even possible for Sweden to be a contender?
That all comes down to their coach. He has taken what is Sweden's worst roster in years much farther than anyone else, and sometimes you just have to believe.
Player to watch out for: Emil Forsberg
He is the only player to watch out for in the Sweden team unless you prefer falling asleep in front of the television. Anything good that comes out of them will come from his feet, and even the team is not afraid to admit that.
Forsberg has had a fairly decent season with Leipzig (two goals and two assists - but he is better than just the stats indicate), and he is better suited to Sweden's 4-4-2 than the one he plays for the club.
#4 Korea Republic
For years, Korea has been the top dog in Asian football, most notably reaching the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, which they jointly hosted. Times are not so dominant now, as Korea managed to qualify only as the third team from Asia - behind Iran and Japan.
Korea qualified as the runners-up of their final Asian qualification round, behind leaders Iran by seven points. They conceded 10 goals in the 10 matches, managing to score only 11 - including 3 0-0 draws in the run.
Coach: Shin Tae-Yong
After the disastrous regime under Stielike, Shin was appointed in 2017 with the purpose of getting Korea qualified to the WC. Despite all the misgivings, he has managed to do that despite the Korean Football Association's perceived lack of sharpness.
The problem with this appointment is the lack of time. One year is definitely not enough time to gel with the team, and it is surprising even what little Shin has managed to do of the team. It helps that Shin was the former Olympic coach and had coached the national U-20 team.
Most of the Korean players play in and around China, most particularly in the J-League. Kim Seung-gye is one of them, and the keeper has been part of the national side since 2014 and will once again start in goal.
Afterward things get a little murky. Shin has shown an affinity towards the 3-4-3, even though his team hasn't and prefers to play in the 4-4-2. Chances are that the 3-4-3 will be continued out of stubbornness despite its poor returns.
Young-gwon, Joo-ho, Hyun-soo and Lee Yong are the more experienced of defenders and are more likely to be rotated depending on the formation. Swansea City's Ki plays as the Defensive Midfielder, and is also the captain of the team.
Hong Chul and Ja-Cheol are the wingers of the team, with Jae-Sung playing behind them as the No.10. Hellas Verona's Seung-Woo has been given the nickname of Korean Messi and is expected to be the future star of the nation.
Despite not starting a lot of games, his inclusion is a positive sign for the development of football in the nation, and much appreciated. The strike force is partnered by Tottenham Hotspur's Son and RB Salzburg's Hee-Chan.
Both of these players are in excellent form and Korea's fortunes in the tournament will depend a lot on these two. They are the most clinical and creative players in the team, and expect a lot of foreigners to know their names by the team they get out of Russia.
Player to watch out for: Son Heung-min
The Spurs playmaker has had a fantastic season in the PL, and this is his chance to replicate that for the national team.
Another point to consider is that he is on the verge of being sent to the mandatory military training by the nation and a strong showing here might earn him an exemption - rare, but possible.
Will Korea send one of their most promising footballers ever to a mandatory camp and let him lose the peak of his footballing years? A showing in Russia stands as the deciding factor.
Who do you think will qualify from Group F for the Round Of 16? Sound off in the comments section below!
