Spain vs Germany: Preview, Odds and Betting Tips - 27/11/2022 (FIFA 2022 World Cup)

A few years ago, Spain vs Germany would have been World Cup final material and a clash that will be billed as the game of the year.

Spain have always been a top team in world football but they became the quintessential team in the late 2000s to early 2010s. They suddenly fell off circa 2013 and the 2014 World Cup was the nail on the coffin.

What could have been the problem with La Farias Roja? Winners fatigue? Poor squad selection? Whatever your answer, it probably applies to Germany too, who, after four world titles with the most recent being 2014, became a shadow of themselves.

However, both teams are currently on the rise. With a core of young, hungry talent backed by experience and proving winning tactics, things are looking good.

That gives you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming game.

Another fact to consider is the recent history between both sides. Spain has won twice in their last five meetings, although one of those wins came at Spain's peak. The other was a 6 - 0 demolition. Meanwhile, Germany's win in that time was a hard fought one-nil win.

For a better understanding of what could happen at the Al Bayt Stadium on November 27, let us take a look at their form guides.

Form Guide: Spain

The 2010 World Cup winners came into the 2022 World Cup on the back of six wins, one loss and one draw from the first round of qualification matches. They were the winners of group B which also had Sweden, Kosovo, Greece and Georgia.

They went from the qualifiers to the UEFA Nations League and topped their group which also had Portugal, Switzerland and Czech Republic with three wins, two draws and one loss. But their performance in the Nations League was unlike their World Cup qualifying. They struggled to win the group and their final position was largely down to the struggles of Portugal, their closest challengers in the group.

La Furia Roja will have Costa Rica to contend with before they take on Germany. That game will give them the perfect opportunity to work on their synchronization from defence to attack, which has been their biggest weakness in the past few games.

The result will be the difference between them topping a third consecutive group and getting knocked out of the World Cup like in 2014. 

Form Guide: Germany

Germany, like Spain, topped their World Cup qualifiers group which had North Macedonia, Liechtenstein, Armenia, Iceland and Romania. Their only loss in the group was to North Macedonia.

In the Nations League, they were grouped alongside Italy, Hungary and England, and ended up in third place after four draws, one win and one loss each. Like in 2019, Germany escaped relegation from League A in the Nations League by a hair's breadth. Hans-Dieter Flick, who took over from Joachim Löw, came under fire for not making any difference in the team.

Die Mannschaft will have Japan to face before coming up against Spain. The Asians are a tricky opponent, with one of the tightest defences in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). With Timo Werner out of the tournament, their attacking prowess has been halved.

Flick will have to tweak his setup to ensure that they can make anything out of their forays into the opponent's box.

What to expect from the match

We expect both teams to score. Especially Germany, who have not struggled in front of goal, despite their struggles. Spain, too, have not failed to find the back of the net in their last five games.

We cannot clearly state a favourite due to their form, but history between both teams suggest that they are as evenly matched as they are currently struggling.

Betting predictions

Both teams to score

Luis Enrique, Spain's manager, has invested in goalscorers all around his squad. Germany's squad, on the other hand, are inundated with creative players who can also take up goal-scoring responsibilities.

The match will be a case of who outscores the other. William Hill is offering 1.73 odds for this to happen.

Over 2.5 goals

Their recent forms and history also suggests that both of them would find the back of the net in the match, and a defensive lapse could yet play a vital role in who comes out on top. Back this to happen at 1.91 odds.

Spain to win

A tough one to pick but there is value that comes with backing Spain to win here. Germany’s defence has been woeful since that start of 2022 and they have only one clean sheet to show for. To go with, Germany have only ever won against their European rivals and if there will be winner here, it’ll likely be the Spaniards. A tempting 2.6 odds is on offer if you back this option to play out.

All odds are via William Hill and all info valid as at the time of writing .

Odds could differ now.

Writer – Dex Easthaven