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Germany have taken maximum points from their World Cup games so far, and they have looked in fine form going forward, with nine goals scored in two matches.

Julian Nagelsmann’s men snatched the three points against Ivory Coast last time out with a 94th-minute winner, so the feeling around camp will be positive heading into this fixture. 

With that being said, Germany are yet to keep a clean sheet - they even conceded against Curacao. The Germans have looked vulnerable on the break at times, which Ecuador will be looking to exploit.

With this being a must-win game for the South American side, they will have to be front-footed from the start.

The South American side are still yet to score in the tournament, but they have been somewhat unlucky.

Ecuador hit the woodwork twice against Ecuador in round one, before forcing 15 saves from Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room last time out. They will have to throw everything at Germany in search of the three points, which means this could become quite an open contest with chances available at both ends of the field. 

Germany have seen corner counts of 11 and nine in their two World Cup matches so far, while there have also been at least eight corners in both of Ecuador's games.

With Ecuador having to be attack-minded here, John Yeboah is a player to target.

The winger managed three shots against Ivory Coast in round one and three shots against Curacao last time out - he has landed this selection in each of his last eight starts for Ecuador across all competitions. 

Yeboah has been heavily involved for Ecuador in the final third, and that has even been the case domestically. The 26-year-old plays for Venezia in Italian Serie B, and his average of 4.0 shots per 90 this season was one of the highest in the squad.

Even though this is a tough matchup against Germany, Ecuador will be relying on Yeboah to contribute in the final third.

Jamal Musiala has drawn more fouls than any other German player at the World Cup so far, landing this selection against Curacao and Ivory Coast.

He has looked back to his very best after having an injury-hit campaign for Bayern Munich, and Ecuador looks set for a tough time trying to contain the 23-year-old. Musiala is so effective when it comes to beating his marker on the dribble, and that makes him a frustrating player to come up against. 

Musiala will be directly up against Moises Caicedo in midfield, and that is a matchup to keep an eye on. With Ecuador needing a win, they should be aggressive and intense in their press right from the outset, which is exactly what makes Musiala a target here.

Germany are not short of elite talent in their starting eleven, and Felix Nmecha has been one of the standout performers under Nagelsmann so far.

He provided the assist for Deniz Undav to score the winner against Ivory Coast last time out, after finding the back of the net himself against Curacao to get Germany underway. 

Nmecha has shown a desire to push forward from midfield with Alexander Pavlovic sitting deeper as cover. Nmecha has regularly been able to get into the opposition box to create overloads or look to get on the end of second balls.

He has already racked up six shots across his two World Cup appearances - including four against Curacao in round one, of which three hit the target, and one found the back of the net. 

Caicedo might not wear the captain's armband, but he is the leader of this Ecuador side, and the Chelsea man will need to play a massive role against Germany if Ecuador are to stand a chance of picking up the three points. 

Caicedo had one shot against Curacao in round two, which forced a save from the goalkeeper, and before that, he had one effort against Ivory Coast that went narrowly wide of the target. He has shown a willingness to get forward and support attacks, and when the space opens up for him on the edge of the box, he tends to pull the trigger.

Ecuador might be limited in clear-cut chances against Ecuador, which means they could be reliant on efforts from range. 

Joshua Kimmich provided two assists against Curacao in Germany’s opening World Cup fixture, sliding one through for Musiala to score before then laying it on a plate for Undav.

Kimmich was unfortunate not to add to that tally against Ivory Coast last time out, as he recorded three key passes, including two big chances created for teammates which were ultimately not converted. 

The 31-year-old registered 12 assists for Bayern Munich this season across all competitions, meaning he has hit double figures for assists in eight of his last nine seasons at the club.

He is the primary set-piece taker for the Germans and is involved in so much for them in the final third, despite being listed as a right back on paper.

Despite winning 7-1 against Curacao in round one, Germany still racked up 18 fouls, and Pavlovic accounted for exactly a third of those with six infringements.

The referee was incredibly lenient with his cards given the lack of competitiveness in that fixture, allowing Pavlovic to escape without a booking. 

Ecuador have drawn eight yellow cards in the World Cup so far, and a lot of those have been concentrated in midfield. Seko Fofana and Franck Kessie were both booked against Ecuador in round one, while three of the four Curacao midfielders also picked up a caution last time out.

With Pavlovic now occupying that position in midfield, and given the larger defensive responsibility, this price stands out. 

Enner Valencia had a frustrating game against Curacao in round two, and he was responsible for missing Ecuador's best chances.

He had seven shots in total, with five on target, but was unable to find the back of the net. The Ecuador skipper will be desperate to atone for those mistakes here against Germany, in what could be his final World Cup game if Ecuador fail to win. 

Valencia blanked on fouls against Curacao, but that was in a game where Ecuador dominated with 75% possession, and they managed just seven total fouls as a team.

Before that, Valencia had recorded multiple fouls in each of his last four appearances for Ecuador, and he had an average of 1.65 fouls per 90 for Pachuca in Liga MX this season.

Another side with massive pressure on their shoulders to perform here is Ecuador - they are yet to find the back of the net in the World Cup, and their 0-0 draw against Curacao last time out was a massive disappointment. This upcoming clash against Germany is their toughest matchup in Group E, but they need a win to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Moises Caicedo will have a massive responsibility here, as one of the senior players for Ecuador. 

The Chelsea man committed three fouls against Ivory Coast in round one and was lucky to escape without a booking. He didn’t record a single foul against Curacao last time out, but Ecuador dominated possession, and that won’t be the case against Germany here. Caicedo will have to deal primarily with Jamal Musiala, who looks back to his best operating in an advanced midfield position.