Group G Predictions 2022
Group G contains the pre-tournament favourites to lift the trophy in Brazil, plus Serbia and Switzerland from Europe. The fourth team in this section are Cameroon, who will be looking to spring a surprise or two in Qatar.
Here is our preview of Group G, including the top players to look out for, previous World Cup records and all four teams’ path to the tournament.
Brazil
Record
Brazil are the most successful team in World Cup history, having triumphed on five separate occasions. They have suffered their fair share of heartache too, not least at the 1950 edition of the tournament on home soil. A draw against Uruguay would have been enough to see the Selecao crowned champions, but their smaller neighbours came from a goal down to win 2-1 in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil made up for that defeat eight years later, as a 17-year-old Pele shone in his nation’s victorious campaign in Sweden. They retained the trophy in 1962 and then won it again in 1970, playing some fantastic football along the way.
The team that tasted glory in 1994 was more functional, before Brazil added a fifth star to their jerseys in 2002. Since then, however, they have not even reached the final.
Players to watch
Neymar is not universally popular but his footballing talent cannot be doubted. Brazil’s talisman, who is on the verge of overtaking Pele to become the national team’s all-time record scorer, will be under pressure to deliver in Qatar, with this possibly being his last World Cup.
Casemiro is not the flashiest player but his leadership, technical quality and astute reading of the game will be hugely important in the centre of midfield. The last line of defence is Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, perhaps the best shot-stopper on the planet in one-versus-one situations.
Highlights from qualifying
Brazil made a mockery of the notion that South America’s marathon qualification tournament is testing even for the most powerful teams on the continent. Tite’s side went unbeaten in their 17 matches, winning 14 of them and drawing three. Brazil ended the campaign with three consecutive 4-0 wins to underscore their dominance.
A 2-0 victory over Uruguay featured one of their most impressive performances, even if the win was not as emphatic as many of their others. Brazil won the return fixture 4-1, outclassing the team that is widely considered to be the third strongest in South America.
Serbia
Record
Serbia is considered by FIFA to be the official successor to the Yugoslavia national team, which competed under that banner even after the country had broken up. Yugoslavia’s best performance was a run to the semi-finals in 1962, when they were finally knocked out by Czechoslovakia.
Serbia & Montenegro went out in the group phase in 2006, before that team was divided into two separate national sides. Serbia qualified for the World Cups in 2010 and 2018 but did not make it into the round of 16 on either occasion.
Players to watch
Dusan Vlahovic is struggling for form at Juventus, where Max Allegri’s tactics are failing to bring the best out of the Serbia international. He remains a prolific centre-forward, though, and opposition defenders will have to keep a close eye on him once he enters the penalty area. Vlahovic has averaged a goal every other game in his 16 caps for his country.
Dusan Tadic shows no signs of slowing down at 33; if anything, he is a player who seems to get better and better with age. The Ajax attacking midfielder will bring guile and invention to the Serbia side. Further back, Nikola Milenkovic is a defender who has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Highlights from qualifying
Serbia won six and drew two of their eight qualification fixtures, which was enough for them to finish above Portugal and secure an automatic spot in Qatar. They did that courtesy of a 2-1 away victory over Cristiano Ronaldo and co. on the final matchday, as goals from Tadic and Aleksandar Mitrovic brought Serbia a memorable triumph in Lisbon.
Switzerland
Record
Switzerland did not enter the inaugural edition of the World Cup in 1930, but they reached the quarter-finals of the next two tournaments – just as they did in 1954, when they were chosen as the host nation.
Switzerland went out in the group stage in both 1962 and 1966, then surprisingly failed to qualify for the World Cup for almost 30 years. Their return in 1994 saw them reach the round of 16, as they also did in 2006, 2014 and 2018.
Players to watch
This is quite a settled Swiss side, the bulk of which has been together for several years now. That should foster familiarity and continuity that could serve Murat Yakin’s men well in Qatar, where they will be hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in almost three-quarters of a century.
Highlights from qualifying
Switzerland won five and drew three of their eight qualifiers, finishing two points clear of Italy at the top of their group (the Azzurri then suffered a shock defeat by North Macedonia in the play-offs). They drew twice with Roberto Mancini’s men, including a battling 1-1 in Rome last November.
Switzerland turned on the style on the final matchday, thrashing Bulgaria 4-0 to secure first place at the expense of the Italians.
Cameroon
Record
Cameroon made their World Cup debut in 1982, but they lost all three of their matches in Spain and went home at the end of the group phase. They were the surprise package at the 1990 World Cup, becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. In the opening match of that tournament, Cameroon stunned the holders Argentina with a 1-0 win.
The Indomitable Lions have been back to the World Cup five times since then, most recently in 2014, but are yet to register another knockout round appearance.
Players to watch
This is not a vintage Cameroon team, so the manager Rigobert Song will be relying on a strong collective in Qatar. Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana will be kept busy by the attacks of Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland, and Song will need the shot-stopper to be at his best in Group G.
Vincent Aboubakar finished as the top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. He has scored 37 goals in 93 matches for his country at the time of writing.
Highlights from qualifying
Cameroon finished top of their group in the first stage of Africa’s qualification process – no mean feat given they were paired with another strong side in Ivory Coast, plus Mozambique and Malawi. A 1-0 home victory over the Ivorians last November proved pivotal.
Cameroon thus advanced to the two-legged play-offs, where they overcame Algeria on away goals after a 1-0 loss in Douala was followed by a 2-1 win after extra time in Blida.
Key matches
Brazil vs Switzerland on November 28 is probably the standout fixture in Group G – the Swiss are not averse to pulling off shocks at major tournaments, as France learned at Euro 2020. All three of Brazil’s matches should be well worth watching.
Group prediction
1. Brazil
2. Switzerland
3. Serbia
4. Cameroon
