World Cup 2018 Review: Group E
Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia: Brazil were one of the teams to avoid and it seems likely Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia will be battling for the remaining qualifying place. The Swiss needed a play-off win over Northern Ireland to make it to the tournament but have sparks of quality in their squad in Xherdan Shaqiri and Steven Zuber. Costa Rica reached the last eight four years ago and are tricky to predict but will fancy their chances once more, while Serbia’s confident qualification — in which they only lost once — makes the team with Nemanja Matic in central midfield a potential threat.
Tite has not had 20 games in charge but Brazil’s transformation from a rudderless wreck to World Cup contenders has been astonishing. Tite has implemented a 4–1–4–1 and carefully navigated the lack of club playing time for some of his players. He has accommodated Neymar on the left, Casemiro in front of the backline, Gabriel Jesus in the centre of attack and has got the best from the full-backs Dani Alves and Marcelo. Renato Augusto is another performing at his peak, and Paulinho, one of Tite’s favourite players, has managed the transformation from the Chinese league to Barcelona remarkably well. The process has risks attached to it, too. Apart from the regulars in the starting XI there is not much depth — Willian and Roberto Firmino aside, Tite does not seem to have faith in many other players.
The five-time champions were the first team other than hosts Russia to qualify for the tournament after a very impressive campaign. Wounded by their semi-final humiliation on home soil in 2014, they are looking to make their first World Cup final since last winning the title in 2002.
How they qualified Winners of the South American section ahead of Uruguay
Preferred system 4–1–4–1
Star player Neymar (Paris St-Germain)
One to watch Paulinho (Barcelona)
Manager Tite
Probability to win group 70%
Serbia qualified for their first major tournament for seven years in comprehensive fashion. With only one defeat in 10 matches, they pipped the Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales and Republic of Ireland to first place in their group, but that was not enough for Slavoljub Muslin to keep his job. The 64-year-old’s conflict with the president of the Serbian FA, Slavisa Kokeza, over the style of play and squad selection — with the star midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic at the epicentre — resulted in Muslin being fired. Mladen Krstajic took over as caretaker and immediately brought Milinkovic-Savic into the team for the November friendlies. The Lazio man repaid the faith with superb performances and an assist, sending a message that he could be trusted to lead a star-studded but ageing Serbia side.
How they qualified Winners of Euopean Group D ahead of Republic of Ireland
Preferred system 3–4–3
Star player Nemanja Matic (Manchester United)
One to Watch Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)
Manager Mladen Krstajic (caretaker)
Probability to win group 20%
Costa Rica were a sensation four years ago, reaching the World Cup quarter-finals, and face the challenge of emulating that. The coach then, Jorge Luis Pinto, has been replaced by Óscar Ramírez and his team showed in qualifying they are the Concacaf team to beat, qualifying with two games to spare. Ramírez has continued to deploy the 5–4–1 that served Pinto so well. It asks a lot of Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges; Ruiz is the main reference in attack and Borges gives balance in midfield. Keylor Navas is the star, with Marco Ureña, who plays for San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS, adding pace to the attack. Costa Rica may struggle to repeat a place in the last eight but they have the quality to reach the knockout phase.
How they qualified Second in Concacaf round five behind Mexico
Preferred system 5–4–1
Star player Keylor Navas (Real Madrid)
One to watch Marco Ureña (San Jose Earthquakes)
Manager Óscar Ramírez
Probability to win group 7%
People in Switzerland expect their team to reach major finals these days so there was no euphoria when the place in Russia was booked. The expectation is for Vladimir Petkovic’s squad to reach at least the last 16. “My team has a got an excellent team spirit and have a tremendous will to succeed,” says Petkovic. Granit Xhaka is at the heart, dictating the pace of the game. With creative and quick players such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Steven Zuber, Switzerland are always capable of creating something on the flanks, especially as the wingers have strong full-backs behind them in Juventus’s Stephan Lichtsteiner, right, and Milan’s Ricardo Rodríguez, left. With Fabian Schär and young Manuel Akanji there is also a solid central defence to lean on. The weakest part of the team is the centre-forward position, which is almost always occupied by Haris Seferović.
Qualified for their fourth straight World Cup by beating Northern Ireland in a play-off via a controversial penalty. They have made it out of their group in two of the previous three and that will be the minimum aim this time around.
How they qualified Second in European Group B behind Portugal, then play-off win against Northern Ireland
Preferred system 4–5–1
Star player Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
One to watch Denis Zakaria (Borussia Mönchengladbach) Manager Vladimir Petkovic
Probability to win group 3%
Marginless verdict
Five-time World Cup winners Brazil head to Russia full of confidence with Neymar looking to lead the Selecao to glory. Brazil are the pick of the teams in Group E. Serbia’s confident qualification — in which they only lost once — makes the team with Nemanja Matic in central midfield a potential threat for Switzerland and Costa Rica.
