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Ozil gunning for another World Cup win PROBABLE TEAMS TODAY, BBC1, KO 4PM
GERMANY v MEXICO
The champions, who lifted the trophy by beating Argentina in the final of Brazil 2014, are one of the big favourites to triumph again in Russia.
But Arsenal midfielder Ozil, who has overcome a knee scare to be in contention to start the opening game of Group F in Moscow, doesn’t expect an easy ride.
“We want to give the German people a second World Cup in a row and that would be a big milestone for us,” Ozil said.
“But nobody is going to make it easy for us. Mexico have quality players, especially in midfield and up front.
“It’s the first match of the group and you cannot afford to lose it because then you play with so much more pressure in the next game.
“The important thing is to play our way, to play at our own pace and do what we know we can do.”
The German team has plenty of experience and a record of consistent achievement, reaching at least the quarter-finals in every one of the last nine World Cups.
Ozil himself has 90 caps and 23 goals for his country. Coach Joachim Loew has been in the role since 2006 and veteran striker Thomas Muller has scored 10 times in World Cup tournaments already.
“Experience is important, I hope it will help us,” said Ozil, who aims to provide the ammunition for new German rising star Timo Werner (below) today.
“But you still have to fight in every game because the other teams will give everything too.
“Sweden may not have Zlatan Ibrahimovic any more but they also have experience in the squad and a lot players who are fighters.
“Then the game against South Korea is complicated.
“It’s the kind of game where they longer it goes on without a goal then you get nervous.
“You can see they have some quality. Heung-min Son has had a very good season with Tottenham and brings European experience to their group after playing in the Champions League.
“We will have to focus and be at our best.”
Ozil has endured a frustrating year so far. Although he starred in Germany’s successful qualifying campaign, in which they won 10 games from 10, life at Arsenal has been far less happy.
The Gunners ended the campaign without a trophy, without a place in the Champions League and without a manager after Arsene Wenger announced he was stepping down.
Spaniard Unai Emery has since taken over the Arsenal hot seat but Ozil, who agreed a new contract at the Emirates last year, knows there is an awful lot of improvement required.
Ozil said: “It’s true that at Arsenal we had a complicated campaign. We reached the end of the season without a trophy and now I just hope that next year it can get better. “My biggest dreams are still to win a Champions League trophy with Arsenal but also to win another World Cup – and that’s what I’m focused on now. “Not many teams have successfully defended the trophy but that’s what we want to do. It won’t be easy because other teams will also feel they can win.
“For me, Argentina and Brazil are the main ones, but I don’t rule out teams like England, Spain or Portugal. All of those sides are training to reach the very end of the tournament.
“There is always an unexpected team that turns up and surprises you and goes a long way, too. So we have to beware of Belgium as well, it could happen to them.
“But first you have to think only about the opening game. Mexico is a tough one to start with.”