All eyes will be on Brazil – and by extension, superstar Neymar – in Group G. The Samba Boys will head into World Cup 2022 as the favourites to win the lot once more, and if they are to succeed, their mercurial talisman must step up to the plate on the big stage.
Brazil have been drawn with Serbia and Switzerland (both of whom also faced Brazil in the 2018 group stage) as well as Cameroon. And if any of those three are to knock off the South American goliath, then their talented midfield generals must rise to the occasion and show their true quality in Qatar.
Read on below as SBOTOP highlights the key player on each of the four teams in World Cup Group G.
Brazil – Neymar
The World Cup 2022 betting odds have Brazil as the favourites to win the tournament, and with good reason. The Selecao have been in sensational form in recent years. They breezed by qualifying and have lost just once in nearly three years (to Argentina in the 2021 Copa America final).
Moreover, the Samba Boys have perhaps the deepest squad in the entire tournament, with proven stars in nearly every position.
But much like Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe and France, most of the pressure still falls on Neymar’s shoulders. For all of Brazil’s attacking weapons, Neymar is still hands down the best of the bunch. With 75 international goals in 121 caps, he could very well overtake the great Pele as the country’s all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup.
Now 30, this is the best – and perhaps last – chance for Neymar to lead his country back to the top of the world. He has been in phenomenal form this season with PSG, which certainly bodes well for his chances of shining bright in Qatar.
Serbia – Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
When it comes to Serbia, most – if not all – of the attention is on their attack, and with good reason. They have two prolific strikers in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic who are capable of scoring loads of goals, while captain Dusan Tadic is one of the top playmakers in Europe.
But Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could very well be the best player of those three and is clearly the key to the team heading into the World Cup 2022. The 27-year-old is a complete midfielder, which is a wonder why he has yet to move on to a much bigger club from Lazio, and is arguably at the peak of his powers right now. He has got 3 goals and 7 assists already for Lazio in 12 Serie A games.
Milinkovic-Savic has a massive responsibility in the middle of the park both defensively and in attack, where he is at his best. If he can stamp his considerable mark on the group games and produce some World Cup 2022 highlights in the process, then the Serbs have a great shot at going through to the knockout round.
Switzerland – Granit Xhaka
Switzerland have consistently been the good-but-not-great team in recent years. They have reached the round of 16 in three of the last four World Cups, but they have failed to go beyond that stage each time.
If this year is the year that they finally break through, then Granit Xhaka will likely be a central figure in the Swiss’ success.
The 30-year-old midfielder has been reborn in a new role with Arsenal this season and has been a vital part of the Gunners’ impressive Premier League campaign (3 goals, 3 assists in 12 league games).
If given a similarly freer role by Swiss coach Murat Yakin, then Xhaka could very well provide the spark that the Swiss have desperately needed in the major competitions in recent years.
Cameroon – Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa
Cameroon are armed with not one, not two, but three capable strikers – captain Vincent Aboubakar, Karl Toko Ekambi, and Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting – which gives them a puncher’s chance of scoring some goals.
But what they don’t have is another Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in their midfield. As he has proven with upstart Napoli’s incredible success this season, the 26-year-old is just so impactful in the middle of the park with his boundless running and energy.
Without Zambo covering so much ground in midfield, Cameroon will find it tough to compete in Group G, so he will be crucial to the Indomitable Lions’ World Cup 2022 campaign.
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