THE Group of Death. Every World Cup has to have one, and this time around, thanks to the presence of European heavyweights Spain and Germany in the same pool, it is Group E that finds itself saddled with the malevolent moniker.

Since 2008, the two nations have combined to win two European Championships and two World Cups, and while it can be argued that neither is in vintage shape as they prepare to kick off in Qatar, they will both justifiably regard themselves as potential winners. Their meeting on Sunday, November 27 promises to be the standout fixture of the entire group stage.

Spain will hope to maintain the progress that was evident in last summer’s Euros, and that also saw them top a difficult Nations League group that also featured Portugal and Switzerland.

Luis Enrique has assembled a squad brimming with emerging young talent, most notably in midfield where Pedri, who does not turn 20 until the end of the month, will attempt to cement his reputation as one of the world’s most exciting players. The Barcelona playmaker is set to be joined by his fellow youngster Gavi in midfield, with Sergio Busquets continuing to hold things together behind them.

The lack of an out-and-out goalscorer remains an issue – Alvaro Morata is expected to lead the line despite having done very little with Atletico Madrid this season – and there is a chance Spain will continue to dominate possession without really doing anything with the ball. If they find a cutting edge, however, they will be dangerous.

Germany have improved since crashing out of last summer’s Euros at the hands of England in the first knockout round, with Hansi Flick having assembled a well-balanced side that looks well-suited to the demands of tournament football.

The likes of Maneul Neuer, Thomas Muller, Ilkay Gundogan and Marco Reus provide an experienced core, but the emergence of Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi affords Germany some welcome youthful vigour in attack.

With Timo Werner absent because of injury, Kai Havertz’s form could be crucial, especially in the group games against Japan and Costa Rica which Germany will have to win to avoid the meeting with Spain becoming crucial.

Japan should not be underestimated given they have made the knockout stage at three of the last five World Cups and conceded just four goals in their ten qualifiers. Stable and experienced, the Japanese will rely on the defensive reliability of Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu and former Southampton centre-half Maya Yoshida, but will need Celtic’s Daizen Maeda and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma to spark in attack if they are to spring a surprise.

Costa Rica shocked the world in 2014 when they reached the World Cup quarter-finals in Brazil – getting out of a group that included England – but a repeat of those heroics seems unlikely given the difficulty of Group E opposition in Qatar.

Watch out for Sunderland teenager Jewison Bennette, who has rapidly developed into a key component of Costa Rica’s first-choice starting side despite only turning 18 in June.