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Germany's forward #26 Deniz Undav celebrates his team's victory.
Cole Burston / AFP via Getty Images
There isn’t much at stake for Germany in Thursday’s Group E finale against Ecuador, as Julian Nagelsmann’s team has already guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage.
Super sub Deniz Undav’s second-half heroics lifted Die Nationalelf to a closely contested 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast, following their commanding 7-1 beatdown of Curaçao in their World Cup opener.
Amad Diallo’s late goal broke the hearts of Ecuadorian fans in their opener against Côte d’Ivoire, and La Tricolor missed a golden opportunity to make up ground on the goal differential after drawing 0-0 against the Blue Wave in its ensuing match.
Ecuador vs. Germany prediction, best bet
Germany enters MetLife Stadium -185 favorites on the three-way moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the opening kick scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
Majestic set pieces, along with established chemistry, have them leading the tournament with 9 goals and a commanding plus-7 goal differential, placing them at the top of Group E.
While Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz are the household names of this roster, Undav’s contribution of three goals and two assists in 58 minutes in a reserve role has been vital.
Deniz Undav is on a heater for Germany in the World Cup. AFP via Getty ImagesThis is a tough one to handicap, especially if Germany plays the safe route and rotates minutes.
As Nagelsmann looks to manage his key players’ workloads, La Tricolor is desperate to finally find the back of the net in this tournament. It’s been utter disappointment for Ecuador and coach Sebastian Beccacece so far.
They played the Ivory Coast extremely well, only to concede a goal in the 90th minute and lose. To add insult to injury, Ecuador recorded 27 shots on goal against Curaçao their next time out, but none found the back of the net.
Eloy Room, the viral goalkeeper and Man of the Match, tallied a record-breaking 15 saves for the Blue Wave. Despite this, an Ecuadorian breakthrough remains a possibility, given that Germany has failed to keep a clean sheet in five of its previous six outings.
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With Nagelsmann and Die Mannschaft expected to bench starters, I believe their depth will be just enough to keep them unbeaten heading into the knockout stage.
Ecuador’s defensive DNA remains evident, but their lethargic attack is influencing my play on the under.
This showdown also presents a golden opportunity for the Germans to prolong their elusive eleven-match international winning streak.
The Play: Germany to win and Under 3.5 goals scored (+170, DraftKings)
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