World Cup 2022 Group G Preview

Brazil are the tournament’s favourites. They have won all their previous seven matches, including three World Cup qualifiers. Across those matches, they have been free-scoring, accumulating 26 goals (they scored 40 in 17 games in total in qualification). Furthermore, in these previous seven matches, they have only conceded two goals. Therefore, Brazil’s challenge for the trophy is built on a mesmerising attack and a stingy defence. Their first match against Serbia will be one of the two most demanding tests in the group on paper. They will look to stifle Serbia’s talented attack while picking holes in their defence. Should they win this, they face a defensively resolute Swiss side who will look to shut them out. Brazil will hope to attain maximum points from these two matches. However, four points would be good as they have the insurance policy of a final match against Cameroon, the weakest team in the section on paper. However, Brazil will fear no one and expect to take all nine points.

Serbia enter the tournament relatively well, having won four, drawn one, and lost one of their six Nations League matches this summer and winter. Defeats of Sweden (twice), Slovenia and Norway, will have given the team much confidence, as will their promotion in the Nations League from League B to League A. They have scored thirteen goals in their last five matches, highlighting their prowess in attacking areas. Their first match is against, by far, the strongest team in the group in Brazil. The Serbs hope to contain the South Americans and hit them on the counter. They are expected to lose, but a point would be a bonus for them heading into the second match against Cameroon. This middle match represents their most gentle on paper, and they will hope to dominate and defeat the Cameroonians. If they go into the final match versus the Swiss with three (or even four) points, it is likely to be a straight shootout between the two for second place. It might be a nervy, attritional affair between the two European sides. However, Serbia will believe they have the firepower to win the match and take second. Suppose the group comes down to permutations such as goal difference. In that case, it might depend on the margin of victory over Cameroon and the defeat to Brazil in being decisive for both nations.

Switzerland arrive in Qatar in mixed form, with a mixed record in the Nations League. They lost their first three matches in a tricky group with Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic. However, they recovered to defeat all three nations in the final matches. The Swiss only kept one clean sheet in the six matches with the disclaimer that the opposition was formidable. This record will worry them as their team is about being defensively resolute. Indeed, they boast some top players but generally are pretty cautious at tournaments. Their first match against Cameroon represents the chance to get off to a great start and take an early lead over Serbia in a potential race for second. If they can win that, they go into the second match versus Brazil, knowing that anything they pick up might be a bonus. However, they will do their utmost to frustrate the South Americans and attain at least a point if they have designs on shockingly topping the group. As stated above with Serbia, if they go into the final match against the Eastern Europeans level on points or with one having a point more than the other, it will come down to the match between the two. A night match where the two battle for the second place might be well worth watching.

Cameroon travel to Qatar in mixed form, having won two and lost three of their previous five matches, including losses in their most recent two to Uzbekistan and South Korea. This run does include the World Cup play-off aggregate victory over Algeria and a narrow win over Burundi in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. However, generally, Cameroon will be disappointed with their recent showings. Indeed, they have scheduled warm-up matches against Jamaica and Panama to fine-tune in the fifteen days before their first match. In that match against Switzerland, the Cameroonians will look to cause a minor upset by defeating their opponents. The Swiss are a good team but not world-beaters, so Cameroon will hope they can score goals against them. If they manage this, they could go into a match against Serbia knowing that a victory would see them on six points and all but securing qualification. If the Switzerland match goes poorly, the pressure will be on them to get a result against Serbia, especially being due to face Brazil in the final match. They hope they can accumulate a minimum of four points from the Swiss and the Serbs, knowing they are unlikely to get anything from Brazil. Still, if they still go into the final match with a chance of qualifying, stranger things have happened at the World Cup involving Cameroon.