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Germany will enter 2014 as one of the main favourites to win World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

According to bet365.com, the European powerhouses boast the second-best odds to hoist the cup next summer. And why not? Joachim Low's offensive juggernaut has finished third at the past two World Cup tournaments.

Led by veteran midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, Die Mannschaft possess the firepower and depth to make a deep run in South America.

The only question is whether Germany can maximize on their talent and deliver against the world's top teams in the knockout stage. The three-time World Cup champions drew a challenging group this December, but they will be favoured to win every match and advance as group winners.

Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report

Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report

Below we'll break down Germany's World Cup group and make some predictions for their opening fixtures and final roster.

Group Breakdown Team FIFA Ranking Germany 2 Portugal 5 Ghana 24 USA 14 FIFA.com

Germany's Fixture Predictions Date Time Opponent Prediction June 16 17:00 BST/12:00 ET Portugal D, 2-2 June 21 20:00 BST/15:00 ET Ghana W, 3-1 June 26 17:00 BST/ 12:00 ET USA W, 4-2 ---

Roster Predictions

Joachim Low and Germany are likely to utilize the same 4-2-3-1 formation that has been so successful for them of late. There's no doubt about who will start at goalkeeper. If healthy, Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer is the obvious choice in goal.

The 27-year-old has made 44 appearances for the senior national team since 2009 and picked up invaluable experience at World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012.

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Defensively, Germany's back line will be headlined by veteran Philipp Lahm. Joining him will likely be Borussia Dortmund youngsters Marcel Schmelzer and Mats Hummels. Schalke's Benedikt Howedes, Hamburger's Marcell Jansen, Bayern's Jerome Boateng and Arsenal's Per Mertesacker are also likely to earn spots on Germany's 23-man roster.

Bayern's talented duo of Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos will likely start for Germany in midfield.

Schweinsteiger is one of few players to have made at least 100 appearances for the senior national team, while the 23-year-old Kroos has scored five goals since debuting for the senior squad in 2010.

Projected Starting XI Pos. Player GK Manuel Neuer LB Marcel Schmelzer CB Benedikt Howedes CB Mats Hummels RB Philipp Lahm DM Bastian Schweinsteiger DM Toni Kroos LW Lukas Podolski CAM Mesut Ozil RW Thomas Muller ST Mario Gotze ---

Germany are absolutely loaded at the top of their lineup, where Thomas Mueller will likely join forces with left-footed stars Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski. Dortmund star Marco Reus is another possible starter on the wing next summer. Rounding out the lineup as the lone striker will likely be Bayern dynamo Mario Goetze.

More experienced options for Low up front include Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose. But Gomez is the more likely of the two strikers to earn a spot on the 23-man roster in Brazil.

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