Mexico’s double-forward tactic—can Raúl and Santiago’s “Jiménez connection” break through South Africa’s defense?

When it comes to Mexico’s attack, there’s one particularly interesting topic: both of their two forwards are named Jiménez. One is Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez, 33 years old, a veteran with plenty of experience, strong at headers and hold-up play; the other is AC Milan’s Santiago Jiménez, 25 years old, young and impactful, faster, and particularly good at charging forward in counterattacks. If these two start together at the same time, what kind of chemistry would that create? I think this is the biggest highlight of Mexico’s attacking end—and the biggest headache for South Africa’s defense.

Even though Raúl Jiménez hasn’t scored especially many goals for Fulham in recent years, his ability to challenge for the ball and provide link-up play in the front line is still the best within the Mexican squad. He can receive the ball with his back to goal, hold off the defenders, and then play it to teammates making runs. This kind of striker will be extremely effective against a defense like South Africa’s, where physical confrontations aren’t particularly prominent. Also, Raúl is strong in the air, and Mexico’s two wide players—Lozano and Viga—both have decent crossing ability. As long as the crosses are of good quality, Raúl can create threats.

Santiago Jiménez is a different type. At AC Milan, he may spend most of his time on the bench, but every time he comes on, he energizes the team with his running and hard challenges. His speed is much faster than Raúl’s, making him better suited to attack in behind South Africa’s defense during counterattacks. If Mexico fields a double forward, it’s likely that Raúl pushes up as the forward anchor, while Santiago lurks behind him or drifts to the sides, looking for second balls.

South Africa’s defensive pairing mostly comes from their domestic league. Although they have good understanding with each other, their individual ability is relatively limited. What they fear most is the kind of striker who can hold the ball, win duels, and also play the pass. Raúl Jiménez fits this profile perfectly. Once Raúl manages to draw South Africa’s central defenders into marking him, Santiago and Lozano can slip into the penalty area from the wide areas or from the half-spaces—then South Africa’s defensive line will fall into a situation where it can’t cover everything.

I predict Mexico will score at least two goals in this opening match, and at least one of the goals will be related to direct combinations between the double forwards. If you’re playing the prediction market, you might consider betting on “Mexico total goals over 1.5” or “Mexico to win.” As for the scoreline, I think 2:0 is the most likely outcome. South Africa will find it difficult to break through Ochoa’s defenses, but Mexico might also leave some openings in their eagerness to attack, allowing South Africa to nick a goal—so 3:1 is not out of the question either.

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