Switzerland vs. Cameroon (Thursday, 10.00am)
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Switzerland and Cameroon meet for the first time ever on Thursday, as the two nations kick off what could be a very competitive World Cup 2022 Group G.
The Swiss come into the World Cup off the back of a quarter-final run at Euro 2020, while Cameroon finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations.
We say: Switzerland 2-1 Cameroon
Despite the gulf in the FIFA rankings between these two sides, we are expecting a very competitive game here, with Cameroon capable of making their attacking presence felt.
The Swiss are a high-quality outfit, however, and should have just enough to record a vital victory to begin their World Cup campaign.
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> How Switzerland could line up against Cameroon
> How Cameroon could line up against Switzerland
Uruguay vs. South Korea (Thursday, 1.00pm)
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Two-time winners Uruguay open their 2022 World Cup campaign against South Korea at the Education City Stadium on Thursday.
La Celeste have been in excellent form since Diego Alonso took over from Oscar Tabarez at the end of last year.
We say: Uruguay 2-0 South Korea
Uruguay have been near faultless under Alonso since his appointment a year ago, and with their elite forwards and a solid defence, they should be big favourites here.
The situation surrounding the fitness of Son has dominated South Korea's preparation, and with him not in top form, there are doubts about what their Plan B is.
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> How South Korea could line up against Uruguay
> How Uruguay could line up against South Korea
Portugal vs. Ghana (Thursday, 4.00pm)
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Seeking to divert attention away from the never-ending Cristiano Ronaldo saga, Portugal begin another quest for international stardom when they meet Ghana in their World Cup 2022 Group H opener at Doha's Stadium 974 on Thursday.
Fernando Santos's side will also face Uruguay and South Korea in a challenging section, as their African counterparts face an uphill battle to make it through to the knockout stages.
We say: Portugal 2-1 Ghana
This has all the makings of a sticky opening match for Portugal, with Ghana proving a tough nut to crack defensively in recent matches and possessing plenty of youthful talent in the final third.
The Selecao faithful should not expect their side to stroll to victory in Doha, but with so many talented attacking options at their disposal, we still have faith in Portugal to grind out a narrow win and get off to the perfect start.
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> How Ghana could line up against Portugal
> How Portugal could line up against Ghana
Brazil vs. Serbia (Thursday, 7.00pm)
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Regarded by many as the favourites to go all the way at the 2022 World Cup, five-time world champions Brazil kick off their Group G campaign against Serbia at the Lusail Stadium on Thursday.
The two nations will renew acquaintances with one another after locking horns in the group stage four years ago, when the Selecao came out on top with a 2-0 victory.
We say: Brazil 3-1 Serbia
Having watched South American rivals Argentina suffer a shock defeat in their opening group game, Brazil cannot assume that Thursday's contest with Serbia will be a cakewalk and they must be on top of their game if they wish to make the perfect start in Group G.
Nevertheless, the Selecao can take encouragement from Serbia's leaky backline conceding in all eight of their UEFA qualifiers, and Tite's abundance of attacking quality should prevail in front of goal in Lusail.
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