KANSAS CITY — High-scoring Germany faces a powerful Ivory Coast side at the World Cup on Saturday with the winner guaranteed a place in the last 32, while Sweden can also book their ticket.
Those three nations can join co-hosts the United States and Mexico who are already through.
Germany thrashed debutants Curacao 7-1 in their opener and would be confirmed as Group E winners if they defeat Ivory Coast in Toronto and Ecuador fail to beat Curacao in Kansas City.
Progressing to the knockout round would be a relief for the Germans who astonishingly have failed to reach that stage since they won their fourth World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
So tight are the margins that Ivory Coast could lock up their place in the next round too, if they beat the Germans.
Nagelsmann said his team had to be prepared for Ivory Coast’s athleticism.
“Their speed is one of their biggest strengths and that’s what I think they do best,” he told reporters, highlighting the French-born Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe.
“During the last game, he was everywhere,” Nagelsmann said of Pepe according to AFP.
Sweden faces the Netherlands in Houston knowing that a win will secure a place in the knockout round – an extraordinary turnaround for the Scandinavians who only qualified for the World Cup through through the Nations League, essentially the back door.
Coach Graham Potter warned that Sweden striker Alexander Isak will get “stronger and stronger” as the tournament goes on.
Isak had a poor season by his standards, interrupted by frequent injuries, after Liverpool paid Newcastle United a British record £125 million ($165 million) for him.
He made a strong start to the World Cup though as the 26-year-old scored one goal and set up two in the 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.
“Alex has had a season that has been interrupted,” Potter said. “Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we’ve had to try to build Alex up. I think there’s more to come from him.”
History will be made in another of Saturday’s games as Japan face Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico for the 1 000th game at a World Cup.
Hajime Moriyasu warned his Japan side they will need to match the intensity of a Tunisia team fired up by the introduction of coach Herve Renard after Sabri Lamouchi became the first coach in World Cup history to be sacked after one game.
On Friday, the United States marched into the knockout round with a 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle.
