FIFA World Cup 2014: Group G, Germany face Portugal at Salvador, Brazil

Salvador,(Brazil): Germany are not only the favourites to top Group G at Brazil 2014, the three-time world champions are also one of the heavyweight contenders to take the title. At the last four major tournaments - the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA EUROS - Germany have always made it at least as far as the semi-finals.

As he showed in the play-off against Sweden, Cristiano Ronaldo is still very much Portugal’s go-to man, though the peerless Real Madrid star is supported is by a very able cast. The central-defensive pairing of Pepe and Bruno Alves is the cornerstone of a very solid rearguard that also features flying full-backs Joao Pereira and Fabio Coentrao. Joao Moutinho is the heartbeat of a creative midfield unit, while Nani can also be relied upon to shine alongside Ronaldo

Starting line-ups in the World Cup Group G match between Germany and Portugal at the Arena Forte Nova in Salvador on Monday.    

Germany:
Manuel Neuer; Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Per Mertesacker, Benedikt Hoewedes; Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira; Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze; Thomas Mueller

Coach Joachim Loew (GER)
       
Portugal:
Rui Patricio; Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao; Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Raul Meireles; Cristiano Ronaldo (c), Hugo Almeida, Nani     

Coach: Paulo (POR)
       
Referee: Milorad Mazic (SRB)