Chile vs. Germany: Confederations Cup final preview
Chile face Germany in the Confederations Cup final this Sunday, July 2. Here’s what to expect in the match.
Germany and Chile will face off for the second time in this year’s Confederations Cup on Sunday, July 2. This time, the winner will lift the trophy. The first match between the two sides finished 1-1 and offers a fascinating peak at what to expect in the final.
Germany struggled to contain Chile’s high-intensity style, led by the duo of Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez. That was encapsulated by a Shkodran Mustafi error that led to Chile’s opening goal, scored by Sanchez.
Germany were eventually able to regain their composure and began to dominate the ball in midfield, as they have throughout the tournament, with Lars Stindl poking in the equalizer shortly before halftime.
Preview
The two sides had very different semifinal performances. Chile went to penalties against Euro 2016 champs Portugal after 120 goalless minutes. It was a deserved win for La Roja, who took over the game in extra time and were unlucky not to score. The Germans cruised through, beating Mexico 4-1 after going up 2-0 in the first 10 minutes.
Chile have a ton of big tournament know-how, and it was striking how similar their semifinal win over Portugal was to their recent successes in the Copa America. La Roja have won back-to-back South American titles, each on penalties against Argentina following 0-0 draws.
The match against Germany will likely be similar. Joachim Low’s side like to dominate possession, and Chile will be happy to pick their moments and play on the break. They’re not the most talented side in the world, but their commitment and enthusiasm out of possession make them formidable opponents, especially in knockout tournaments.
Germany have been fantastic in the tournament thus far. Low received criticism for selecting a young squad, but his decision has been justified. Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner are tied for the tournament lead in goals with three apiece, while Lars Stindl is tied for second with Cristiano Ronaldo on two.
More than any individual accolades, however, what’s been impressive is how composed the German players look. Granted, the Confederations Cup isn’t the most highest quality tournament around, but against much more experienced opponents in Chile and Mexico, Germany’s youngsters have looked completely unfazed.
They’ll need that calm confidence in abundance on Sunday, as Chile will likely try to put them under pressure early, just as they did in the group stage. If they can withstand that early press, the Germans should begin to take control of the match. Whether they can break down a resolute Chile defense is another matter.
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Prediction
There are three ways this game is likely to go. First, the Germans settle early, dominate the ball just like they did against Mexico, and win easily. Given Chile’s strength at the back, that seems unlikely. La Roja will almost certainly not be as easily exposed as Mexico were in the semis.
Second, Chile’s pressure forces Germany back, and prevents them finding any rhythm on the ball. If Chile can make that happen, they should produce enough chances for Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas to score.
Finally, and most likely, we’ll see a bit of both, just as we did in the group stage. Germany will dominate for long spells, but struggle to break down Chile’s defense, while Chile will force occasional mistakes as their opponents try and pass out from the back.
The final of course can’t end in a draw, so we’ll go with the Germans, who have been in better form overall, and seem less dependent in attack on any one player.
Germany 2-0 Chile