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Both national teams have already reached the World Cup quarterfinals, now it remains to determine who will take the first place in the group. Germany must defeat their opponents to become the winners of Group A, while Ecuador only needs a draw.
Berlin - "Olympiastadion" stadium Ecuador - Germany Match start: 17:00 (Lithuanian time) Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia)
Head-to-head matches These teams have never played against each other. Ecuador has faced East Germany three times. One victory was achieved, one match ended in a draw, and one was lost.
Germany has played 15 times against opponents from South America in World Cups and celebrated victory 10 times. Three matches ended in a draw and they have only suffered two defeats - both in the World Cup finals. In 1986, they lost 2-3 to Argentina, and in the previous World Cup, 0-2 to Brazil.
Facts about the teams Ecuador Ecuador reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the country's history. In their first championship in 2002, they finished last in the group. Ecuadorians have won three consecutive games in the World Cup and have not conceded a single goal in all three games.
Ecuador is the eighth out of ten South American teams participating in the World Cup qualifiers to advance to the knockout stage. Bolivia (participated in the World Cup twice) and Venezuela (never participated in the World Cup) did not succeed in doing so.
Germany In the last four World Cups, Germany won their first two matches twice. Every time, the Germans reached at least the semi-finals. In 1934 and 1970, Germany finished third, and in 1974 and 1990, they were the winners.
If Germany defeats Ecuador, they will win the group matches with victories in all games. The same was achieved in 1970 and 1974.
Injured players Ecuador's striker Carlos Tenorio (shin injury) may be allowed to rest in these matches. His place would be taken by Ivan Kaviedes.
One of Germany's main defenders, Torsten Frings, injured his thigh in training and may not play against Ecuador. The player left training with a bandaged leg.
Christoph Metzelder may also miss these matches due to a knee injury.
Opinions Ecuador's coach Luis Fernando Suarez is determined to take first place in the group. Although the South American representatives only need a draw in these matches, they will seek a victory.
"I don't want a draw, I want to win. We want to beat Germany and win this group, we will not change tactics." - Suarez spoke seriously ahead of the match.
"We have beaten Argentina and Brazil, so let's see if we can also succeed against Germany" - the coach of Ecuador determined to win.
The victory in the qualifying matches against Brazil with a score of 1-0 and against Argentina 2-0 helped Ecuador advance to the World Cup.
Suarez singled out Michael Ballack from the opponents as the most dangerous German player before the final group matches. - "Germany has good players, but Ballack is a great talent" - Suarez praised his opponent.
Germany's coach Jurgen Klinsmann is not worried about the possibility of playing against England in the knockout stages. Depending on the results of the final matches, these teams may meet as early as the quarterfinals.
"We really don't care who we will face" - Klinsmann said before the final Group A match. - "When you reach the knockout stages, it's very difficult to play against any team, but we haven't started training to take penalty kicks yet." - shared the thoughts of Germany's national team strategist.
Germany and Ecuador won their first matches, but Ecuador has a better ratio of goals scored and goals conceded, so Germany needs a victory to take first place in the group.
"Ecuador is one of the best teams in the championship, so the match will be very tough." "They deserve our respect because they have shown that they can play well far from home, not just in Quito high above sea level." - Klinsmann did not hesitate to praise the opponents.
"We should not think about the knockout stages now, just focus on the next matches." "We need to focus on the match against Ecuador and nothing else. We want to win and become the winners of the group" - shared the team's ambitions before the match strategist.
What to expect in the match Securing their places in the knockout stages, these opponents only have to determine which of these national teams can be called the winners of the group and avoid a possible meeting in the quarterfinals with one of the favorites, namely England. Both Germans and Ecuadorians undoubtedly want to win the first place, so the battle between the two strongest teams in Group A should be intense.
Predicted starting lineups: Ecuador: Cristian Mora, Ulises de la Cruz, Ivan Hurtado, Giovanny Espinoza, Neicer Reasco, Edison Mendez, Edwin Tenorio, Segundo Castillo, Luis Antonio Valencia Agustin Delgado, Ivan Kaviedes.
Germany: Jens Lehmann, Arne Friedrich, Christoph Metzelder, Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm, Bernd Schneider, Tim Borowski, Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose.
