Germany and Portugal, two of the favorites to win this year's World Cup, will collide on Monday at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, in a match that is considered as one of the must-watch showdowns in the group stages.

The winner of this showdown will likely finish on top of Group G, and the loser will face the possibility of crashing out early in the tournament as the other teams in the group -- USA and Ghana -- are capable of pulling off upsets.

With so much at stake in the upcoming match, Germany and Portugal are expected to go all out to get the all-important three points in their tournament opener.

Germany coach Joachim Loew knows that there is no room for complacency and admitted that they will have their hands full in the group stages, particularly in their upcoming match against Portugal.

"A win would give us a boost for the upcoming games," Loew said. "In this group it is very important. We have three really unpleasant opponents. And just because of their class, Portugal are a tough nut to crack. They have gone far in all recent tournaments."

Loew, who is pinning his hopes on 2010 World Cup top scorer Thomas Mueller, said that there are no favorites heading into Monday's showdown since both teams have world-class players and have contrasting styles.

On the other hand, Portugal coach Paulo Bento said that Germany should be considered favorites to win the match and the group, but that doesn't mean that they will back down from the Germans in their highly anticipated showdown.

Good thing for Bento, superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start for Portugal after being considered as doubtful before the tournament started after undergoing knee surgery.

"A player like Ronaldo is important for any team, and that's the case for us," Bento said. "It's good that he is back. ... Group G has a team in Germany who may be considered favorites because of their history and potential, but it is a very balanced group. USA and Ghana are well organized and have some good values, but we have the ambition to move forward."

The Germany-Portugal match is scheduled to start at noon EST. Fans can catch the action on ESPN and online.

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