Germany and Ivory Coast are in the box seat in Group E after winning starts to the 2026 World Cup, which means the victorious side at BMO Field in Toronto can start planning for the knockouts.
Germany are clear favourites to come out on top after impressing in their 7-1 romp against Curacao.
However, Ivory Coast, foot-perfect in qualifying, also won admirers as they pipped Ecuador 1-0 in the other game in Group E.
Germany v Ivory Coast Tips Summary
Best Bet - Draw or Ivory Coast Double Chance @ 11/8
Alternative Bet - Corners race to 7 - neither team @ 5/6
Bet Builder - Over 32.5 tackles, Yan Diomande 2+ fouls won, Yahia Fofana 3+ saves, 1-4 goals range @ 5/1
Germany vs Ivory Coast Prediction
Best Bet: Draw or Ivory Coast Double Chance @ 11/8
Germany are a short price to back up their Curacao drubbing with a win over Ivory Coast and make it two out of two at the World Cup.
And 10 wins in a row, six in competitive fixtures, is certainly an impressive run from Julian Nagelsmann's side.
But drawing too many conclusions from Germany's opener looks dangerous given how suspect Curacao were at the back, and The Elephants are in a different class.
Ivory Coast boast a defence that withstands pretty much everything and have a pair of wingers in Amad Diallo and Leipzig youngster Yan Diomande who can frighten the life out of any defence.
Victory for the Germans looks a long way from a formality - indeed, the value bet may be to go the other way and back the Africans with the draw in the Double Chance market.
Alternative Bet: Corners race to 7 - neither team @ 5/6
Don't expect a hell-for-leather approach from either side in Toronto.
Ivory Coast will be tight, compact and strong and Germany have no need to take a gung-ho approach in a game where a draw represents a perfectly good result for both teams, almost certainly guaranteeing progress into the Round of 32.
Germany won eight corners against Curacao but were like a knife through better against the starstruck underdogs. Getting past Emmanuel Agbadou and colleagues will be a far tougher ask.
The Elephants won just three corners against Ecuador and will do well to win too many more here. Take neither team to reach seven corners.
Germany v Ivory Coast Bet Builder Tip
Over 32.5 tackles
Yan Diomande 2+ fouls won
Yahia Fofana 3+ saves
1-4 goals range
Pays 5/1
10 of the 24 matches played in the first round of group-stage fixtures at this World Cup produced over 32 tackles, including the games involving Germany and Curacao.
The Germans, clearly looking to prove a point, had 26 tackles alone in their 7-1 win over Curacao, who chipped in with 16.
Ivory Coast had 14 against Ecuador (21) so back over 32.5 tackles in this game. These are tough sides who will be physical.
Yan Diomande won a couple of fouls against Ecuador and Germany will be looking to silence the Bundesliga wonderkid.
Take the RB Leipzig teenager to be fouled at least twice by a team who, as we've seen, will put their toes in.
Yahia Fofana will be the busier of the two keepers. He only made one save against Ecuador but that was because the South Americans just weren't sharp enough around the box. Germany will be a different story.
Eleven of Ivory Coast's last 13 matches and three of Germany's last four have yielded a 1-4 goals range, which is the suggestion for this encounter.
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Key Match Stats
Germany are on a 10-match winning streak and have scored 19 goals in five wins since the turn of the year
Ivory Coast have won four in a row - including a 2-1 friendly win in France - with clean sheets in three of those successes
Germany had 12 shots on target in their 7-1 win over Curacao, the most of any team in the first round of games
Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador on Sunday was an 11th straight World Cup clean sheet including qualifiers
Germany committed 18 fouls against Curacao on Sunday - only three teams committed more
The only previous meeting between these sides was in a friendly in 2009, a match which ended 2-2
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
