The 2019 World Cup's knockout stage kicks off on Saturday with the round of 16 as one of the favorites takes on a big understand. Germany faces Nigeria with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line. Germany won Group B with a 3-0-0 record and didn't concede a goal, joining the United States as the only teams to do that in this tournament. Meanwhile, Nigeria was in a tough Group A that included France, Norway and South Korea, but they sneaked through as one of the four third-place teams to move on.
Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
Women's World Cup round of 16: Germany vs. Nigeria
- Date: Saturday, June 22
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Stade des Alpes -- Grenoble, France
- TV channel: FS1 and Telemundo
- Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Germany -2 (-115) | Nigeria +1.5 (-105) | O/U: 3
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Storylines
Germany: After two straight 1-0 wins, Germany grabbed a 4-0 win over South Africa to produce a bit more of momentum in attack. While at times the team has been wasteful in the final third, the gritty defense has carried this team. It's felt like a brick all at the back, and with no team having been able to score against them, it bodes well for them when it comes to making a run at the tournament. Leonie Maier in defense is something else.
Nigeria: They are thrilled to be at this stage, and the 1-0 loss to France in the last game showed that they could compete and defend with discipline, only conceding on a penalty kick. A similar performance is needed here. Their best chance is to play all-out defense and go on the counter or hope to make it to penalties where anything can happen.
Prediction
Germany is too strong for Nigeria, getting two goals before the break and cementing this before half time with another.
Pick: Germany 3, Nigeria 0
