2018 World Cup countdown: the top-five challengers
Defending champions Germany are among the biggest names to dominate next month's World Cup in Russia
Paris — With the 2018 World Cup in Russia starting in a month, AFP Sport takes a look at how the biggest names, who between them have won 13 of the last 20 tournaments, are shaping up: • Germany’s build-up has been marred by uncertainty about the fitness of first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The 32-year-old Bayern Munich man has been on the sidelines since suffering a fractured foot in September. "I do not think it’s imaginable that I go into such a tournament without match practice," Neuer admitted last week. His natural replacement is the excellent Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona. Coach Joachim Löw has a core of the team that won the 2014 title and can also call on the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner. Marco Reus will hope to be fit this time too. After winning all their qualifiers, Germany have failed to win recent friendlies against England, France, Spain and Brazil. Nevertheless, they are the world’s top-ranked side and almost always deliver at the W...
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