Germany were always heavy favourites against Curacao in their opening World Cup fixture, but they put in a statement 7-1 victory.

The Germans got off to a quick start, and despite being pegged back to 1-1, they were able to pick Curacao apart in the second period. Germany looked fluid in the final third, and their front four seemed to be operating on a similar wavelength.

However, Germany did concede, and that will give Ivory Coast a boost heading into this fixture. The African side also started with a win, but that game was much more entertaining than the scoreline suggests - Ecuador struck the crossbar twice.

This is a clash between two strong attacking units, and goals look very good market to target.

The new VAR rules on corners have perhaps made unders more of a target, given how corners can no longer be awarded when they were incorrectly given as goal-kicks but can be overturned. However, that has worked to inflate prices on the overs. 

This is a clash between two potent attacking forces, and there should be chances available at both ends of the pitch. There were eight corners awarded in Ivory Coast's opening game against Ecuador, with three corners for and five conceded.

Ivory Coast had an average of 7.2 corners per game across their five AFCON matches, recording at least five in every single game, which shows how effective they can be at getting to the byline.

Ivory Coast are not short of talented wingers, but it was a surprise to see Amad Diallo benched against Ecuador in round one.

He still made his mark when introduced in the second period - as he scored the only goal of the game, while having another shot which forced a save from the Ecuador goalkeeper. 

Based on that performance, Diallo should be rewarded with a starting spot in the eleven against Germany. The Manchester United winger was one of Ivory Coast's top performers throughout AFCON, finishing with three goals from his five appearances.

He had an average of 4.33 shots per 90 throughout the competition, which was the highest of any player in the squad.

Seko Fofana had a tough opening fixture against Ecuador, and it would not be a surprise to see Ibrahim Sangare introduced to the Ivory Coast midfield against Germany, starting alongside his captain. Like Fofana, Kessie also found his way into the referee's notebook against Ecuador, racking up three fouls.

He was kept busy in midfield areas throughout that game, and that should remain the same against Germany. Julian Nagelsmann looked pleased with Jamal Musiala's performance against Curacao - the 23-year-old has had his fair share of injury problems over the last year, but he popped up with a goal before being substituted after 64 minutes.

Musiala looked back to his best, sharp on the dribble and always looking to beat his marker, so Kessie should have plenty of defensive work to get through.

Wilfried Singo has been adept at drawing contact throughout the season, and he has an average of 1.87 fouls drawn per 90 for Galatasaray this campaign. He tends to go down easily under contact, which allows his side to establish themselves on the ball. 

Singo was fouled just once against Ecuador, but he draws a much more favourable matchup here against a German side that like to press intensely in an attempt to win the ball back high up the field. 

They racked up 18 fouls against Curacao last time out, and Havertz in particular is averaging 1.52 fouls per 90 for Arsenal this season across all competitions - he should be directly up against Singo.

It took 48 minutes for Havertz to open his goalscoring account at the World Cup, as he converted a penalty won by Nmecha.

The Arsenal striker has returned to fitness at just the right time, and he looked back to his best against Curacao - Havertz doubled his tally in the 88th minute, scoring the seventh goal for his side by cleverly dinking over the goalkeeper when played through one-on-one.

Havertz finished his domestic campaign with Arsenal in imperious style, even scoring in the Champions League final against PSG. He recorded a goal and an assist against the USA before his brace against Curacao last time out.

Felix Nmecha was one of the standout performers for Germany against Curacao, as he opened the scoring after just six minutes with an impressive finish.

Even though Ivory Coast are likely to be much tighter defensively than Curacao were, it was impressive to see just how often Nmecha looked to push forward and create overloads in the box, sometimes being the furthest player forward. 

He had four shots, of which three hit the target, before being replaced after 73 minutes. Nmecha has made five appearances for Germany since the World Cup qualifiers, and he has landed this selection in all of those, averaging 2.84 shots per 90.

Nathaniel Brown managed a goal and an assist for Germany in round one, despite being the right back - he spent a significant amount of time in the opposing half looking to get on the end of passes in the final third.

Brown did still register two fouls, though, and he looks set for a considerably tougher job out wide against Ivory Coast. Piero Hincapie is considered one of the best defenders in one-on-one situations, but Yan Diomande had his number on several occasions in round one against Ecuador.

The 19-year-old has a serious burst of pace that makes him incredibly hard to contain, and it would not be a surprise to see Brown resort to a cynical foul to stop him.

In that same period, Jonathan Tah is averaging 1.31 fouls per 90 and has landed this selection in each of his last three starts for his national side.

That includes two fouls against Curacao last time out despite the dominant victory, and Tah was also substituted after 73 minutes to afford him a rest. 

The centre back also recorded two infringements against the USA and Finland, respectively, in the June friendlies prior to the World Cup. Tah is incredibly strong in his duels, and he likes to stick tight to the opposing striker regardless of the matchup.

Ivory Coast's attack should cause him considerably more trouble than Curacao did, which makes this price stand out.