Qatar 2022 is upon us and the scenes before the opening ceremony are looking really good!

The fans of the record World Cup title holders Brazil have already landed in Qatar and are alerting the locals to their presence. They always turn up to support their team, which is why Brazil is one of the biggest World Cup favorites.

And this year, the feeling is different. It is widely believed that the Samba boys are closer to their sixth title than they have ever been, especially seeing how they recaptured the world number one spot on the FIFA rankings from Belgium. But as usual, they will have to start their journey at the group stages.

Serbia, Cameroon and Switzerland are their opponents in Group G and will be looking forward to being giant killers when they each face Brazil. But the squad selection, which is why Brazil is one of the biggest World Cup favorites, are names who give defenses and managers sleepless nights.

Serbia and Switzerland are coming into the tournament well prepared as well. Cameroon, on the other hand, have a very tenacious team but have failed to get a single result against a non-African side in their last six games.

Group G is going to be an interesting group and this article will take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team going into their matches, and then make a prediction for the final group standings.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Brazil

When you have names like Neymar, Alisson Becker, Ederson Moraes, Vinicius Jr., Casemiro, among others, it is hard not to feel confident going into any match.

Player quality, player ability and squad depth, which is why Brazil is one of the biggest World Cup favorites, is something that every other team in Group G will be very wary of. They will also be very wary of Brazil’s ability to both keep possession and break on the counter.

They are a team of few weaknesses but one area they are lacking in, is the left back position. Alex Sandro and Alex Telles are solid players but are error prone and can be exploited to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Serbia

Serbia are arguably the team with the scariest attack going into the tournament. Few teams can match their attacking roster in terms of output, and this is their greatest strength.

Feed Aleksandar Mitrović, Dušan Vlahović and Dušan Tadić and they will score. They are even more dangerous with Tadić’s ability to create from the wings and fill in as a centre forward if the need arises.

Team manager Dragan Stojković is aware of the threat possessed by the attack, and maximizes the effect they can have in a match by finding a formation to field them all at once.

Their only weakness going into Qatar 2022 is their lack of big tournament experience. With the exception of Cameroon, this is a similar group to their last outing in 2018 and it is that same experience that cost them the round of 16.

Switzerland

Switzerland have always been a team who embody the term. They are very organized in all areas of the pitch and it is usually hard to break them down.

They do not lack individual quality either, especially in the midfield, where they are led by Granit Xhaka, who is the team’s captain. Brazil and Serbia, who were in their 2018 World Cup group, will remember how tough they were to break down as they reunite in Group G in Qatar 2022.

Their weakness is still in attack. This year, they are only taking four attackers to the tournament while focusing on their midfield, possibly to increase the chances they create. This could be their undoing if they are unable to kill off games.

Cameroon

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon are a team full of running, stamina, tenacity and grit. They know how to get down and dirty and it is a trait that will help them against Switzerland and Serbia.

Brazil, on the other hand, is a different beast entirely. The Brazilians and their free flowing style is antithetical to Cameroon, who sometimes rely on chaos to secure victories.

Brazil are their natural enemies in this group, but their most obvious weakness – little creative presence in the middle of the park – could also be exploited by Switzerland and Serbia, who are much better in that area.

Match previews and predictions

Switzerland and Cameroon will play the group’s opening game on November 24 in the early kickoff, before Brazil and Serbia meet in the late kickoff on the same day. This round will prove important for Switzerland, if they are to finish in second place behind Brazil like in 2018.

Cameroon will then take on Serbia on November 28 while Brazil and Switzerland do battle in the late afternoon. This round will be Serbia’s chance to catch up to Switzerland so they can be on equal footing going into their match on December 2, when Brazil will also face Cameroon.

Brazil are expected to win all three matches and Cameroon are expected to lose all three. However, if they play to their strengths, the tides could turn and the Europeans will be left to play catch-up, which will make for an interesting group. This is definitely a group worth watching with friends!

Final group places prediction

The group winners are obvious, which is why Brazil is one of the biggest World Cup favorites. Switzerland comes second and Serbia will finish a close third. Cameroon will have to try again in another tournament as they could not ask for a tougher group.