Algeria v Slovenia
Group C, 11:30 GMT, June 13, 2010

Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa

With England and the United States firmly installed as favourites to advance from Group C, both Algeria and Slovenia will see this game as their chance to stake a claim for a place in the top two should one of the others slip up.

A point is likely to be no use to either side, which means it may be an open match with both sides on the attack. That said the two teams are very similar in style, though Slovenia can claim to have a more sturdy defence and a better build-up to the finals.

Slovenia will look to captain Robert Koren to pull the strings in the centre of the park as their playmaker, with Milivoje Novakovic an effective though unspectacular striker. Novakovic has the ability to hold the ball up, rarely giving away possession.

Slovenia are at their second World Cup finals, having lost all three matches and finishing bottom of their group in 2002, while Algeria, who qualified for the finals with a play-off victory against arch-rivals Egypt, previously reached the finals in 1982 and 1986 but have never made it beyond the group stage. The loss of Mourad Meghni, a gifted playmaker, to a knee injury before the tournament was a major blow.

Algeria's build-up has been marred by internal squabbling, disciplinary problems and injuries. Coach Rabah Saadane has dropped skipper Yazid Mansouri due to poor form and Antar Yahia will now wear the armband with Hassan Yebda coming into the team.

Algeria player in focus: Madjid Bougherra. The Rangers defender was a doubt for the finals due to injury, but has recovered to take his place in the squad and will be a vital player at both ends of the pitch. A cultured, ball-playing defender, do not be surprised to see him bring it out from the back. Many consider Bougherra to be one of the best defenders in Africa.

Slovenia player in focus: Robert Koren. Without a club after being released by West Bromwich Albion last month, Koren is in the shop window as much as any player at the World Cup finals. The creative spark in the midfield, Slovenia will look to move the ball through Koren when in attack mode. Being made captain has been the making of the player on the international stage.

Key battle: Aleksandar Radosavljevic v Karim Ziani. Radosavljevic has emerged from the shadows to become an important player for Slovenia, acting as the holding presence in the centre to Koren's creativity. Radosavljevic ability to limit the influence of Ziani throughout the match may have a major bearing on this game. With Slovenia having a strong defence, nullifying the attacking impetus of Ziani could set up a vital victory. Trivia: On every national team shirt that Yazid Mansouri wears, he writes a tribute to his father who is the president of an organisation in France that speaks up for those suffering from intolerance to gluten.

Stats: Slovenia only conceded 4 goals in 10 games in their qualification for the World Cup. Algeria have never kept a clean sheet at the World Cup finals.

Odds: Algeria (3.30), the draw (3.25), Slovenia (2.25) with Bet365. The 1-0 win for Slovenia is priced at 7.50. Prediction: Algeria have been in disarray in the months leading up to the finals, and seldom do teams do well at the World Cup under such circumstances. Slovenia will go into the game with confidence and while goals may be a problem for them, they may just edge this one.

Serbia v Ghana
Group D, 14:00 GMT, June 13, 2010

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa

At one stage seen as many pundits' tip to be dark horses at this World Cup, the loss of talismanic figure Michael Essien to injury means they are now considered outsiders. Stephen Appiah will now find his role in the side increasingly important but, as in 2006, the forward line looks paper thin.



With Germany also in the group, it is expected to be a three-way fight for second and defeat in the opening game could almost end someone's World Cup campaign.

Serbia, who suffered in the Group of Death with Argentina, Ivory Coast and Netherlands four years ago when competing as Serbia & Montenegro, have been seen as a defensive team in the past but now have much more in their locker and scored 22 goals in qualifying.

Serbia player in focus: Milos Krasic. The attacking force in the Serbia side, Krasic's reputation was enhanced greatly during CSKA Moscow's Champions League campaign in the past season. That form, as he scored four goals in Europe's premier club competition, has led to interest from Juventus and he is set to sign for the Serie A giants after the tournament. He is a speedy and elusive right-winger or attacking midfielder.

Ghana player in focus: Kevin Prince-Boateng. This German-born midfielder finds himself in the World Cup finals having only made his international debut for Ghana on June 5. An experienced Germany youth international, where he was once named Young Player of the Year, Boateng is a figure of hate in Germany for his defection which was not helped after his tackle on Michael Ballack in the FA Cup final ruled Germany's skipper out of the finals. Boateng reignited his career at Portsmouth last term after a move to Tottenham proved to be a disaster and will be vital in the opposition's half.

Key battle: Nemanja Vidic v Richard Kingson. Set pieces are crucial in modern football, and Serbia have a band of towering defenders who join the attack to form a fearsome weapon which leads to most of the country's goals. For Ghana, on the other hand, they have a goalkeeper in Richard Kingson who has come in for much criticism. Despite having played only five games in three seasons with Birmingham and Wigan he remains Ghana's first choice stopper. The likes of Vidic will look to take advantage of his uncertainty on crosses. Trivia:

Ghana's Sulley Muntari's former boss at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, sparked a wave of protest from the Muslim world when he complained that Muntari's fasting for Ramadan had left him ill-prepared for match days. Stats:

Only Burkina Faso had a worse shots-to-goals record than Ghana at the African Nations Cup earlier this year. Odds: Serbia (2.10), the draw (3.25), Ghana (3.75) with Bet365. There could be plenty of goals in this game, a punt on the 2-2 draw, at 19.00, could be a wise investment. Prediction: The loss of Essien is every bit as damaging as you might expect. A confident Serbia side can claim all three points.

GO THE SOCCEROOS !!!!! AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI

Germany v Australia

Group D, 18:30 GMT, June 13, 2010

Durban Stadium, Durban, South Africa

Germany may have restored some international pride four years ago as they reached the semi-finals on home soil, but the perception of Germany as one of the pre-tournament favourites is a thing of the past.



The loss of Michael Ballack to an ankle injury, thanks to a late tackle from the German-born Kevin-Prince Boateng in the FA Cup final last month, meant coach Joachim Low effectively had to rip up his plans for South Africa and start again. The Germany captain was the fulcrum of the team both on and off the pitch, and the loss of such an inspirational figure is hard to cope with at such a late stage. Replacing the experienced 33-year-old Ballack with a 21-year-old international rookie in Mesut Ozil is a risk, but it could be a master-stroke if Ozil adapts to the pace of the World Cup quickly.

Much will rest on the shoulders of new captain Phillip Lahm, while Bastian Schweinsteiger will become the lynchpin of the midfield, allowing Ozil to push on in search of goals and become the key to open up Australia's defence.

With Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose woefully short of form, Germany may have to rely on their defence performing well to reach the latter stages. There's certainly no reason why Australia should not go into the game with some confidence.

Australia's main worry is a lack of depth to their squad and any striker worthy of the name. With Harry Kewell struggling with injury and and Scott McDonald surprisingly left at home, coach Pim Verbeek is left to rely on the untried Nikita Rukavytsya, Brett Holman for Joshua Kennedy goals.

With the Australia squad ageing, the athleticism and drive which the side possessed under Guus Hiddink four years ago could be missing, and without that the Socceroos will become a very one-dimensional side. And the threadbare nature of Verbeek's squad also makes any Plan B difficult to execute.

Brett Emerton and Mark Bresciano will look to add creativity and width for Australia but without a focal point for the attacks it could be that they too find themselves sitting deeper than they would like. This may especially be the case for Emerton who now plays as a right-back for his club, Blackburn Rovers.

Germany player in focus: Mesut Ozil. The loss of Michael Ballack to injury means Ozil will come into the side and get the chance to make his mark on the World Cup earlier than he would have expected. The Werder Bremen midfielder was a central figure in the Germany team which won the European Under-21 Championships last year and, with just 10 international caps to his name, now gets the chance on the biggest of stages. A player with a cultured left foot, his lack of consistency could be Germany's downfall.

Australia player in focus: Tim Cahill. While it might be obvious to say that the threat of Cahill from set-pieces will be no surprise to the German defence, his ability to lose his marker time and again in the Premier League proves that even the best prepared teams struggle to deal with his threat. With a dearth of attacking options open to Pim Verbeek, he will rely on Cahill's heading prowess to help power the Socceroos through to the Second Round for the second successive finals. With 20 goals in 40 international appearances, Cahill is more prolific than any of the nation's current strikers.

Key battle: Lucas Neill v Miroslav Klose. Klose may only be behind Gerd Muller in goalscoring for Germany, but the 2009-10 season was one to forget for the Bayern Munich striker. After scoring only three goals all season, Klose was woeful in Germany's warm-up games. But coach Joachim Low has thrown his support behind Klose, a proven and dangerous tournament performance. Despite his recent woes, his bustling style will mean Lucas Neill will need to be on his toes at the heart of the Australia defence. An out-of-sorts Klose is still more troublesome than most of the strikers at the World Cup.

Trivia: Australia scored the most goals in any World Cup qualifier after beating American Samoa 31-0 in 2001.

Stats: Germany's Miroslav Klose has scored 48 goals in 96 games for Germany, but he managed just three in the league for his club this seasaon.

Odds: Germany (1.50), the draw (4.20), Australia (7.00) with Bet365. Tim Cahill to score the last goal at 13.00 is a tempting offer.

Prediction: Australia may not have strength in depth and little to offer up front, but this Ballack-less Germany side still has plenty of questions to answer. Germany should win, but it won't be as straight forward as the odds suggest.

Full-time - 90'
Algeria
0 - 1
Slovenia
Group C, 11:30 GMT, June 13, 2010

Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa

Algeria goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi followed Robert Green's lead as he gifted Slovenia a win that sees them go top of Group C. Robert Koren's speculative shot from 25 yards was let into the net by Chaouchi in the 80th minute in a game that offered precious little excitement.


MATCH SUMMARY

Man of the Match: Robert Koren - In truth, he did not have the kind of impact on the game that he has had for West Brom in the past, but he gets the honour for breaking the deadlock in a dreadful game.

Slovenia verdict: Despite being able to top the group before the game, Slovenia came out very defensively and did not look to get forward much. Koren's goal provided the breakthrough, but it was a very lucky one.

Algeria verdict: Also very defensive, they did show more ambition down the flanks as Nadir Belhadj was a bundle of energy and venom. But ill-discipline cost them once again and they had to play the final stages with ten men. At 1-0 down, they still didn't look capable of breaking Slovenia down.

Could do better: Both teams. This is the World Cup finals, not a competition to see who can make a million people fall asleep first. The game didn't come alive until the 80th minute when Faouzi Chaouchi missed Koren's shot and let it into the net and even then it wasn't great.

Stat attack: Abdelkader Ghezzal picked up two yellows in just 14 minutes and 19 seconds making him the fastest substitute to pick up two yellow cards in World Cup history.
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• Saadane won't blame keeper

Less than 24 hours after England's Green had let Clint Dempsey's shot slip from his grasp in the 1-1 draw in the group's opening, Chaouchi produced a similar howler.

Slovenia captain and former West Brom midfielder Koren's 25-yard shot was not particularly venomous but the Algeria goalkeeper allowed it to bounce up off his shoulder and into the net.

Only moments before that the Africans had been reduced to ten men when substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal's needless handball resulted in a second yellow card.

The win puts Slovenia top of the fledgling table and with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, an unlikely scenario before the tournament kicked off.

On this evidence it would seem unlikely either nation will cause Group C's 'big two' any problems but, as has so often been the case in the past, England have an unwelcome habit of stumbling over hard-working and resolute teams. And both Algeria and Slovenia reached the World Cup with play-off victories over Egypt and Russia, countries supposedly superior to them.

Portsmouth defender Nadir Belhadj presented an early threat when he forced Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic to tip over a third-minute curling free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. It was a rare moment of quality in a half littered with errors as both sides needlessly gave the ball away.

Valter Birsa's inswinging free-kick from the right touchline forced Chaouchi to punch clear Slovenia's first real chance in the 21st minute.

Algeria striker Rafik Djebbour was lucky to escape punishment after appearing to deliberately catch centre-back Marko Suler in the face with his shoulder on the half-hour. But Aleksandar Radosavljevic was booked by referee Carlos Batres for barging over Belhadj as he attempted to break down the left.

The resulting free kick signalled a few minutes of sustained pressure which ended with centre-back Rafik Halliche heading wide Algeria's best opportunity from Karim Ziani's corner.

Just before the interval Karim Matmour's left-foot half-volley flew narrowly over the crossbar at one end while Chaouchi had to acrobatically tip over Birsa's long-range effort at the other.

Both teams changed their strikers early in the second half; Slovenia sending on Zlatan Ljubijankic for the ineffective Zlatko Dedic and Algeria replacing Djebbour with Ghezzal.

But Belhadj's delivery remained the most likely weapon to create the breakthrough as Halliche had a free-kick snatched off his forehead by Handanovic.

Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra produced a perfectly-timed tackle to deny Milivoje Novakovic just as he was about to shoot 12 yards out.

Algeria's chances of victory diminished considerably in the 73rd minute when Ghezzal, having been booked with seconds of coming on for pulling Suler's shirt, received a second caution for handballing a long punt forward.

Six minutes later Slovenia captain Robert Koren punished the north Africans with a little help from Chaouchi.

The watching Zinedine Zidane, born in France to Algerian parents and considered a hero in the north African country, was not impressed.

Full-time - 90'
Serbia
0 - 1
Ghana
Group D, 14:00 GMT, June 13, 2010

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa


Zdravko Kuzmanovic's stupid handball gifted Ghana a penalty in the final stages, as Serbia fell 1-0 in Group D. Asamoah Gyan netted from the spot, but Serbia were always struggling once Aleksandar Lukovic had been sent off in the 74th minute.


MATCH SUMMARY

Man of the Match: Andre Ayew - In game of few bright sparks, Ghana forward Ayew was a livewire throughout and was always looking to cause problems.

Serbia verdict: Milos Krasic didn't see enough of the ball as Serbia failed to show much adventure in a game they should have been looking to win. Nikola Zigic missed a great chance from a few yards out and new Liverpool signing Milan Jovanovic wasted possession far too often.

Ghana verdict: This win will go a long way to booking a place in the second round for Ghana. Though they may lack bite up front, Andre Ayew and Prince Tagoe offered enough, in tandem with Asamoah Gyan, to suggest a place in the knockout rounds may be deserved.

Could do better: Nikola Zigic - The Birmingham-bound striker, the tallest player at the World Cup finals, was ineffectual up front and was eventually replaced by Danko Lazovic with 20 minutes to go. If Serbia are to get out of this group now then Zigic will have to step up.

Stat attack: Ghana will have won all three World Cup matches in which they have scored a goal.
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The impressive Gyan, who also hit the post twice for Ghana, fired home from the spot in 84th minute after Zdravko Kuzmanovic had been adjudged to have handled a cross in the area.

That sealed a closely-fought Group D encounter at Loftus Versfeld stadium and puts Ghana in a promising position to progress through to the knockout phase in their second appearance at the World Cup finals.

For Serbia, who were playing with a man less since the 74th minute following the dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic, they now have a mountain to climb as they face group favourites Germany in their next match.

The match pitted old friends and fellow Serbians Radomir Antic and Milovan Rajevac against each other on the respective benches of the two sides, and both seemed keen to take the game to their opponents.

Antic's Serbia had the first effort in the first 15 seconds when Marko Pantelic fizzed a 30-yard thunderbolt not too far wide.

However, despite the best intentions of both sides, neither goalkeeper was seriously threatened in the first half.

Four-time African champions Ghana looked the more dangerous of the two, but they failed to find the target with their two best opportunities.

The first saw Gyan curl a free-kick over from a dangerous position on the edge of the box, then captain John Mensah failed to get a decent connection on a header from a free-kick seven yards out.

Serbia's main threat before the break came from a couple of well-worked set-piece routines, neither featuring the anticipated high ball into the area looking for the head of giant striker Nikola Zigic.

The first saw one training-ground routine pick out the unmarked Pantelic inside the area, but poor control let him down and Ghana could breathe again.

The second saw left-back Aleksandar Kolarov opt to go for goal from 30 yards out and the reported Real Madrid target, like Pantelic in the first minute, was not far away from finding the top corner with a well-struck shot.

The first opportunity of the second half should have resulted in the game's opening goal - but Andre Ayew headed wide.

Prince Tagoe's cross from the right cleared Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and fell perfectly for Ayew at the far post, but his downward header went wide.

Moments later at the other end Zigic missed a similarly gilt-edged chance for Serbia.

Pantelic's cross into the middle picked out his strike partner but the 6ft 7in forward completely miscued his volley from six yards out.

That was probably a better opening than Ayew's, and Ghana almost made Zigic pay for his profligacy by nearly taking the lead in the 60th minute.

Gyan climbed above Vidic to reach a long throw-in into the area, and the Rennes player was unfortunate to see his header hit the outside of the near post.

The introduction of experienced midfielder Stephen Appiah in the 72nd minute was well received by the noisy and sizeable contingent of Ghana fans, and they were given further cause for hope two minutes later when Serbia lost Lukovic to a red card.

Lukovic, who had been booked at the start of the period, was shown a second yellow card after pulling back Gyan.

Despite the setback Serbia looked the more dangerous side over the next five minutes. Milos Krasic brought a fine block out of Kingson, Vidic headed over from a corner and Branislav Ivanovic fired over as well.

Ghana survived that spell though, and in the 84th minute they were handed the chance to take the game when Kuzmanovic was adjudged to have handled a cross into the area, earning Rajevac's side a penalty.

Kuzmanovic protested his innocence but the decision stood and Gyan stepped up to slam his spot-kick past Stojkovic, to the delight of the Ghana fans.

Kuzmanovic had a chance to make amends soon after but he blazed over, while man of the match Gyan could have added a second late on but his shot rebounded back off the post.

Full-time - 90'
Germany
4 - 0
Australia
Group D, 18:30 GMT, June 13, 2010

Durban Stadium, Durban, South Africa

MATCH SUMMARY

Man of the Match: Lukas Podolski - He may not have fired for his club this season, but Podolski always turns it on for his country. Playing wide left, he netted a great early goal and provided a constant attacking threat throughout with his pace and vision on the ball.

Germany verdict: An attacking line-up, with Bastian Schweinsteiger playing deeper than usual, gave them licence to control the flow of the game. Germany made more passes in one half than South Africa, Uruguay, USA and Nigeria completed in their entire matches and it showed. Total domination.

Australia verdict: Without playing a striker, the Socceroos were always going to struggle to peg Germany back. Tim Cahill had a great early chance from a header, but there was precious little possession or space for them to mount any decent attacks.

Could do better: Craig Moore - He hasn't had a club since March, and Moore looked way out of his depth. Being screamed at constantly by Lucas Neill, the central defender found himself out of position on more than one occasion and did not have the pace to make amends.

Stat attack: Klose scored his 11th World Cup goal, which ties him with Jurgen Klinsmann and Sandor Kocsis for fifth in World Cup history. Klose also becomes sixth German player to score at three straight World Cups.

With a young squad and without injured Michael Ballack, the Germans went on a scoring rampage. Lukas Podolski opened their account in the eighth minute before veteran Miroslav Klose doubled the lead before the half-hour mark.

Cheered by the green and gold fans at the Durban Stadium, the Socceroos showed more determination after the re-start but saw their challenge take a fatal hit when Tim Cahill was shown a straight red card in the 56th minute following a late tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Thomas Muller added Germany's third in the 68th minute before substitute Cacau got an easy tap-in less than two minutes after coming on as a substitute. The result lifted Joachim Low's side top of Group D above Ghana, who beat Serbia 1-0 earlier in the day.

The Germans, who have not lost a group game since 1994, made Australia pay for their sloppy defending. Low handed out-of-form Klose the lone striker's role and it proved a wise move.

Australia had the better of the opening stages and came close to taking the lead in the third minute. During a scramble in the area, Richard Garcia's close-range shot was blocked by Philipp Lahm.

The Germans responded shortly after, with an unmarked Klose surging inside the area and hitting a right-footed strike towards the centre of goal which the Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer parried away.

Podolski made no mistake seconds later. He got behind Muller's pull back from the right and drove the ball in from 15 yards. Schwarzer managed to get a touch on the ball but it went in.

Jason Culina could have restored parity in the 17th minute but he nodded high from Brett Emerton's cross. Midway through the first half, Klose missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0. The veteran got behind Podolski's cross and struck the ball wide from the heart of the area.

Klose made amends shortly after as he extended his team's lead in the 26th minute after sloppy defending by Australia. Schwarzer came off his line and got to Klose just as the striker headed home from Lahm's cross from the right.

On the half-hour mark, captain Lucas Neill managed to clear Mesut Ozil's goalbound shot with Schwarzer already beaten. Germany's Sami Khedira headed high over the crossbar as Germany went into the break after a near-perfect first half.

Australia coach Pim Verbeek brought in Brett Holman at half time in the hope of sparking his team into life. Holman tried to make an immediate impact but his diagonal shot went wide of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's far post.

Australia's hopes then nose-dived when Cahill was shown a straight red card for a tackle from behind on Schweinsteiger.

With one man short, Australia struggled to stop Germany's advances and conceded shortly after the hour mark.

Muller got away from his marker before lashing home a shot in off the post. Australia had little time to react as Germany struck again two minutes later. Ozil surged down the left and cut it back for the Brazilian-born striker to hit it past Schwarzer.

Netherlands v Denmark
Group E, 11:30 GMT, June 14, 2010

Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa

Frequently labelled as perennial World Cup underachievers, Bert van Marwijk's Netherlands side take to the 2010 finals looking, once again, to shed that particular monkey off their back. And just as in tournaments gone by, they appear to have a squad possessing enough quality to mount a serious challenge.


The Oranje certainly have players capable of turning a game on its head with a moment of creative brilliance. Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder helped guide their respective club sides to the Champions League final, earning widespread praise for their influential displays and the Netherlands have been in fine goalscoring form during their warm-up games, scoring 12 goals in three victories over Mexico, Ghana and Hungary. But their defensive frailties remain and the likes of Joris Mathijsen and Johnny Heitinga do not inspire massive confidence at the back.

The 2010 Group E opener pits Van Marwjik's side against the nation they beat 3-0 during the group stage of Euro 2000 but, more famously, lost to in the semi-finals of Euro '92 - Denmark.

Since that victory in 1992, Denmark have flattered to deceive at major tournaments - aside from a quarter-final run at the 1998 World Cup that was ended after a narrow 3-2 defeat by Brazil - and missed out on qualification for both the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. This time round, they will be relishing a return to the global arena and Morten Olsen's side have reason to be optimistic after an impressive qualification campaign, which saw them record away wins against both Sweden and Portugal.

Denmark's build-up has been poor, though, with a win against Senegal sandwiched by defeats against Austria, Australia and South Africa - and Olsen, who has been at the helm for ten years, must use all his experience to inspire improved performances from his side at the finals.

Netherlands player in focus: Wesley Sneijder. One of the best players in Europe last season, Sneijder was the midfield mastermind behind Inter Milan's Champions League triumph. His career has been resurrected at the San Siro after he struggled to make an impression at Real Madrid - despite starring for Netherlands at Euro 2008. With a keen eye for an incisive pass, Sneijder will be creator-in-chief for the Dutch and opponents should beware his accurate delivery from set-pieces, and superb shooting ability from distance.

Denmark player in focus: Christian Poulsen. After enduring a torrid season with Juventus, Poulsen will be relishing playing with a group of players who may actually resemble a team. A tough-tackling midfielder, his presence will be crucial in ensuring the likes of Sneijder and Van der Vaart don't see too much of the ball. Keep an eye on his temper though, he has a rather chequered disciplinary history.

Key battle: Robin van Persie v Daniel Agger. Van Persie has looked backed to his clinical best since returning to the national team, bagging four goals in the Oranje's three warm-up games. After missing a large chunk of Arsenal's season, despite an apparent visit to the Serbian placenta clinic, Van Persie now looks fresh and ready to spearhead Van Marwjik's forward line at the finals. Standing in his way for Denmark is Liverpool's Daniel Agger. Injury has kept his profile under the radar, but he has proved a commanding presence at the back for his country when he has played. His aerial ability isn't great, but he's more than capable of matching RVP on the ground.

Trivia: Aged just 18 years and three months old when the tournament starts, Denmark's Christian Eriksen will be the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup, narrowly ahead of Vincent Aboubakar of Cameroon, and the youngest in his side by almost three years (Simon Kjaer was born on March 26, 1989)

Stats: The Netherlands have lost only one of their last 12 group stage matches at World Cup finals (against Belgium in 1994).

Odds: Netherlands (1.53), the draw (4.00), Denmark (6.50) with Bet365. Netherlands to lead at half-time, but a draw at full-time is priced attractively at 19.00.

Prediction: This could well be the game that decides who wins the group and so could prove to be a tight encounter, despite Netherlands plethora of attacking talent. Having faced Portugal in qualifying, Denmark showed themselves to be adept at handling teams full of forward flair and their organisation will be key again in this one. If the Danes stay disciplined, a draw is on the cards.

Japan v Cameroon
Group E, 14:00 GMT, June 14, 2010

Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Playing in their fourth successive World Cup, Japan have managed consistent qualification but have yet to assert themselves on the international stage. The Blue Samurai face an uphill task to progress from Group E, if their recent form is anything to go by.


In 2010, Takeshi Okada's side have faltered every time they have played a nation possessing any quality. Defeats to rivals South Korea (twice), Serbia, England and Ivory Coast have yielded just one goal and Okada has somehow earned a Raymond Domenech-style finals reprieve despite being lambasted by fans and press alike in Japan. And one must certainly question the logic of the Japanese FA in putting their World Cup hopes in the hands of a coach who lost all three matches when he last guided the national side to the finals in 1998.

Japan's opponents in the opening game of Group E will be Africa's most successful World Cup nation, Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions reached the quarter-finals in 1990 - led by the scoring exploits and snaking hips of Roger Milla - and will be playing in an African-record sixth finals.

Despite being a national treasure, Milla risked wrecking Cameroon's build-up to the finals after criticising star striker Samuel Eto'o for failing to display his world-class club credentials for the national side. Eto'o did not take too kindly to Milla's comments and threatened to pull out of Paul Le Guen's World Cup squad, though fortunately for the Indomitable Lions, he changed his mind.

In Eto'o, Cameroon have an obvious match-winner and can also boast a physically imposing and athletic midfield in Achilles Emana, Alex Song and Jean Makoun. But make no mistake, their midfielder also possess plenty of guile to trouble a Japan side lacking real steel in the middle of the park.

Japan player in focus: Keisuke Honda. Undoubtedly one of the most naturally gifted players at Okada's disposal, Honda has flourished since moving from Dutch club VVV Venlo to CSKA Moscow in January. He netted the Russian club's winner against Sevilla in the Champions League and has the ability to unlock defences with a dribble or an incisive through ball.

Cameroon player in focus: Samuel Eto'o . Quite simply, he is the Indomitable Lions talisman. As his country's captain and leading goalscorer, the hopes of a nation rest on the Inter Milan striker's shoulders. Eto'o made one substitute appearance at the 1998 World Cup, but four years later was Cameroon's match-winner against Saudi Arabia. Having missed out on playing at the 2006 finals, he will be desperate to prove that he is capable of carrying the team forward on the biggest stage of them all.

Key battle: Tulio Tanaka v Pierre Webo. Tanaka is comfortable on the ball, and has impressive anticipation when marking his men, with Wayne Rooney's failure to score in a recent friendly testament to his abilities. In Webo, he has a tough opponent - a strong, fearsome frontman who is full of running and provides the perfect foil for Eto'o. The Mallorca striker is an excellent form going into the tournament having scored three goals in the final two warm-up games.

Trivia: None of Cameroon's 23-man squad play in the country's national league. Seven players ply their trade in France, four in Germany, three in Turkey, England and Spain, and one each in the Netherlands, Scotland and Italy.

Stats: Japan have never won a World Cup game outside of their country, losing five of their six games on foreign soil.

Odds: Japan (3.60), the draw (3.30), Cameroon (2.10) with Bet365. Samuel Eto'o for first goalscorer is priced at 5.00 and might be worth a punt.

Prediction: Both of these sides have flattered to deceive of late, and their poor recent results would suggest a draw is on the cards. But there will be one truly world class player on the pitch who can make all the difference, and Samuel Eto'o may just give Cameroon the edge.

Italy v Paraguay
Group F, 18:30 GMT, June 14, 2010

Green Point Stadium , Cape Town, South Africa

The 2006 World Cup winners open their title defence against the team predicted to cause them the most problems in Group F. Italy have Marcello Lippi back at the helm and, after an unbeaten qualification campaign, the Azzurri should certainly be considered among the contenders in South Africa, though the phrase "successive wins" is not one that has been uttered too often in relation to their chances. Inter Milan's Champions League success may have boosted Italy's UEFA co-efficient but with substitute Marco Materazzi - who was not even selected in Lippi's final 23 - the only Italian player involved in the final, little can be really taken from the Italian side's continental success.


Materazzi is one of several players who played in the 2006 final to have been cut by Lippi this time around, while Andrea Pirlo, Italy's best player in the 2006 final, will miss the start of the tournament with a calf injury, meaning the Azzurri will be increasingly reliant on Daniele De Rossi to pull the strings from midfield. Italy always seem to be a side boasting experience and, with an average squad age of 28.75, they are the fifth oldest in South Africa.

Paraguay will be aiming to emulate the success of the likes of Cameroon and Senegal in producing a shock win over the reigning champions in their opening game. Gerardo Martino's side enjoyed an impressive qualification campaign, beating fellow South American qualifiers Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay along the way - and they have also looked good in the build-up to the World Cup, with a 2-1 loss against Republic of Irleland the only blot on their copybook among wins against North Korea and Greece and a draw with Ivory Coast.

Top scorer in qualifying, Salvador Cabanas, was shockingly shot in the head earlier this year and Paraguay's players were hit hard, though the incident has certainly served to improve the togetherness of the side, and will be a source of inspiration for La Albirroja heading into the finals. Having exited at the group stage in 2006 Paraguay advanced to the second round, and will need the likes of Roque Santa Cruz and industrious right midfielder Carlos Bonet to be on top form against Italy if they are to get off to a good start and replicate previous progressions.

Italy player in focus: Daniele De Rossi: Dynamism personified, De Rossi will be the Azzurri's key man in Pirlo's absence, and with Gennaro Gattuso an option to play behind him, the Roma midfielder should have plenty of room to roam and influence the game. He comes into the tournament on the back of a fantastic season with his club side, and it seems the bigger the occasion, the better he plays. Four years on from his disgraceful sending off against USA at the 2006 finals, De Rossi has matured into a real leader and he will be determined to show the numerous positive aspects of his game this time around. There is a doubt over his fitness for Monday but, given his importance, he seems likely to make the starting XI.

Paraguay player in focus: Lucas Barrios. One of the in-form players heading into the finals, Barrios has the potential to make a big impact in South Africa and, wherever he goes, goals are almost certain to follow. Born in Argentina, he decided to represent Paraguay just before the World Cup and promptly accepted a call-up to the side. Three goals in his first three games have seen him explode onto the international scene. A predator with exceptional finishing prowess, Italy should be wary of his presence.

Key battle: Paulo Da Silva v Fabio Quagliarellaa Silva helped keep out the intimidating attacking talents of Brazil and Argentina during qualifying, but after a frustrating season at Sunderland in which he started just 12 games, his lack of game time could prove costly at the World Cup. Waiting to pounce on any mistakes could be Napoli striker Fabio Quagliarella, whose goal against Switzerland in the final warm-up game should have done enough to convince Lippi that he is worth a place in the starting line-up.

Trivia: Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar's eighth-minute substitution against England in 2006 was the quickest substitution of a shot-stopper in World Cup history.

Stats: In 2006, Italy's 12 goals were scored by ten different players - a record jointly held with France (1982).

Odds: Italy (2.10), the draw (3.10), Paraguay (4.00) with Bet365. A 1-0 win for Italy looks promising at 5.50.

Prediction: As long as the Azzurri's notoriously tight defence remains that way to stifle the threat of Barrios and Santa Cruz, they will have every chance of succeeding where Argentina and France failed before them - by winning their opening match as defending champions.

Full-time - 90'
Netherlands
2 - 0
Denmark
Group E, 11:30 GMT, June 14, 2010

Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa

An own goal by Daniel Agger - thanks to Simon Poulsen's mistimed header - and a late Dirk Kuyt effort helped Netherlands begin their World Cup campaign with a comfortable victory over Denmark at Soccer City.


MATCH SUMMARY

Man of the Match: Nigel de Jong - His tackling may be a little robust at times, but the midfielder's presence went a long way to ensuring the Danes were kept at bay.

Netherlands verdict: The Dutch were clearly the better team but, unlike at Euro 2008, failed to hit the ground running. Perhaps this time they may grow into the tournament and find top form when it really matters.

Denmark verdict: Lacked any real creativity or penetration in the final third of the pitch. It is clear that scoring goals is going to be a real problem for this Danish side. Simply not in the same class as the Dutch at all.

Could do better: Nicklas Bendtner - The Arsenal striker missed a glorious chance in the first-half when the score was 0-0. We may say "could do better", but we don't actually know if he can.

Stat attack: Denmark conceded the 30th own goal in World Cup finals history.

Both goals came in the second half after an assured first period of defending by the Scandinavians, who constantly thwarted a Dutch attack which appeared short of ideas without the injured Arjen Robben.

But the resistance was broken less than 60 seconds into the second half, when Robin van Persie's cross from the left was headed in the wrong direction by Simon Poulsen - he tried to head clear and sent it towards his own goal - and it struck the back of Agger and went in.

Kuyt doubled Netherlands' advantage five minutes from the end to ensure the highly-fancied Oranje a positive start in Group E.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen sprung a major surprise by naming Nicklas Bendtner in his starting line-up despite saying yesterday that the Arsenal striker, who has been nursing a groin problem, "cannot play".

But his side, like Netherlands, struggled to find any early rhythm with Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen wastefully firing free-kicks from good positions into the crowd.

It took ten minutes for the first shot on target - Kuyt sending a tame effort straight into the arms of Thomas Sorensen from just outside the box.

The noise level of the vuvuzelas was suddenly raised after 16 minutes when the lively Liverpool forward's cross was cleared away for a corner, but that came to nothing - much to the disappointment of the Soccer City crowd. Van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart then played a neat one-two, but the latter saw his shot deflected wide by Agger.

The Danes had their best opening of the half just after the midway point when Bendtner found himself in space inside the six-yard box, but he could only head wide from Dennis Rommedahl's cross from the right.

After another dangerous ball from Kuyt was deflected wide, Rommedahl carved out another good chance when he cut in from the right, only to shoot straight at Maarten Stekelenburg.

The Ajax goalkeeper was drawn into his first testing save after 36 minutes when Bendtner released Thomas Kahlenberg, whose shot was acrobatically palmed away.

Just before the break, Van Persie seemed unsure which foot to use after making room on the right, before poking his effort wide.

The Danes may have been solid at the back for the first 45 minutes, but they slipped up straight after the restart to gift their opponents the lead. The advantage could have been doubled after another mistake - this time from Simon Kjaer - saw Van Persie played in, but indecisiveness from the striker allowed Sorensen to swoop.

Coach Olsen then made his first change by introducing Jesper Gronkjaer, but it was the Oranje that continued to look dangerous. Van der Vaart showed good skill in trying to cutely volley Van Persie's pass in, but Sorensen again intercepted.

Mikkel Beckmann and Christian Eriksen were also thrown on for Denmark, the former for Bendtner, but they still struggled to carve out any real openings although Agger struck a low shot into the gloves of Stekelenburg. And Bert van Marwijk's team were always a threat going forward, with substitute Eljero Elia causing plenty of problems down the left.

Sneijder almost made it 2-0 eight minutes from time, but saw his 25-yard effort deflected onto the crossbar by Agger with Sorensen beaten.

However, five minutes from time Kuyt sealed the points. Elia's shot from the left was diverted onto the right-hand post by Stoke goalkeeper Sorensen and the Liverpool forward easily finished. It could have been worse for Denmark, but Simon Poulsen cleared Ibrahim Afellay's shot off the line late on.