Manuel Neuer has called on Germany to maintain their attacking momentum at the World Cup and secure a place in the knockout stages as quickly as possible.
Julian Nagelsmann's team began their campaign in emphatic style with a 7-1 thrashing of minnows Curacao in Houston. The challenge is expected to intensify when Germany face Ivory Coast in Toronto on Saturday night.
The two sides are level on points at the top of Group E, after the Ivorians defeated Ecuador in their opening match. Veteran goalkeeper Neuer insists his team must keep pushing to guarantee qualification for the last 32 with a game to spare.
Germany's last two World Cup appearances ended in humiliation, with the four-time champions failing to progress beyond the group stage. Neuer is determined to avoid a third consecutive failure.
The Bayern Munich shot-stopper said: "That’s our aim, and it's all in our own hands. We made a good start and we don't want to look back at previous tournaments. The players aren’t dwelling on that. All our focus is on the next step, and for us that means Ivory Coast."
France could be waiting in the next round, but Neuer is not looking that far ahead. He added: "We'll be facing a very strong side in Toronto, but we’re really well prepared. We know what to expect, and I think Ivory Coast know what to expect too. It would be something special for us to have our place secured after two games. Then we can start looking further ahead. There’s already a lot of talk about France, but we’re not looking at that. We just want to focus on the next game."
Belgium Get Unexpected Visitor
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis will attend Belgium's clash with Iran to assess Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, both of whom face uncertain futures at the Italian club.
Lukaku has expressed a desire to stay with Napoli despite playing only 64 minutes last season due to injury and being involved in disciplinary proceedings after allegedly ignoring a training request in late March.
De Bruyne recently stated he was pleased to see Antonio Conte leave, citing the coach's overly defensive style. During a press conference, De Laurentiis hit out at both players: "They have made statements that are either acceptable or unacceptable depending on your point of view. We’ll see what happens when we all get back to work. We’ll see what the new coach thinks of it. If someone has to leave, they will leave. What’s the problem? There are plenty of footballers in the world."
Lukaku is unlikely to start despite forcing an own goal from the bench against Egypt.
