How can you not fall in love with football!!! Isn't it beautiful? The games of uncertainty, desire, and devotion. The excitement it offers is unrivaled.

🇩🇪🆚🇯🇵 Match Predictions?

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 23, 2022

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While Germany were the first side – other than hosts Qatar – to qualify for the tournament, Japan’s route to the final was a rockier one, finishing second in their qualification group behind Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Falcons shocked the world by beating Argentina in their opening game of this tournament, and the Samurai Blues were hoping for a similarly seismic result in their favour against Germany.

The 2014 champions got their 2022 World Cup campaign underway against Japan, hoping to avoid a repeat of their disastrous 2018 tournament, where they were dumped out in the group stage in a meek defense of their title.

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Ilkay Gundogan and Serge Gnabry top-scored in qualifying for Germany, netting five goals apiece, and both started in Die Mannschaft’s midfield against Japan. They were accompanied by Kai Havertz up front, with the Chelsea attacker playing as a false nine.

GERMANY XI (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Niklas Sule, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum; Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gundogan; Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala; Kai Havertz.

SUBS: Kevin Trapp, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Matthias Ginter, Thilo Kehrer, Leon Goretzka, Niclas Fullkrug, Mario Gotze, Lukas Klostermann, Julian Brandt, Jonas Hoffman, Leroy Sane, Christian Gunter, Karim Adeyemi, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Youssoufa Moukoko.

📋 Your #GER line-up to face #JPN#FIFAWorldCup #GERJPN pic.twitter.com/T0yfK42s6R

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 23, 2022

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𝔸𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝟙𝟡 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝟚𝟟𝟘 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤, 𝕄𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕒 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝔾𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕒𝕥 𝕒 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 ℂ𝕦𝕡 𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕂𝕒𝕣𝕝-ℍ𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕫 𝕊𝕔𝕙𝕟𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝟙𝟡𝟝𝟠 - 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕥𝕒𝕝, 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝔾𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕥 𝕒 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕒. ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕚𝕘𝕪!

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Japan's legacy at the World Cup is more of a mathematical puzzle. It's consistently the same. It never breaks its cycles. It's always between groups and the first knockout. But this time, Japan will be more eager to break this curse. They undoubtedly have their greatest roster so far, with so many talented and veteran players who are ambitious and enthusiastic enough to overcome the odds. As the curse indicates, pulling it to the knockout is questionable, but the barrier has already been shaken. It's football, and prediction isn't welcomed here. It will always be mischief.

Japan’s performance since 1998. How far will they go this year? #FIFAWorldCup #SamuraiBlue

1998 Group Stage
2002 R16
2006 Group Stage
2010 R16
2014 Group Stage
2018 R16
2022❔ pic.twitter.com/Y2nTINlROW

— J. Football Now (@j_football_now) November 23, 2022

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Japan’s leading scorer in qualification, Yuya Osako, was sidelined from the tournament through injury; therefore, Celtic striker Daizen Maeda started up front. Five of the Japanese XI play their club football in Germany, including captain Maya Yoshida and forward Daichi Kamada, who have scored 12 goals in just 22 games so far this season.

JAPAN XI (4-2-3-1): Shuichi Gonda; Hiroki Sakai, Ko Itakura, Maya Yoshida, Yuto Nagatomo; Ao Tanaka, Wataru Endo; Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo; Daizen Maeda.

SUBS: Eiji Kawashima, Daniel Schmidt, Miki Yamane, Shogo Taniguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Ritsu Doan, Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Takuma Asano, Shuto Machino, Ayase Ueda, Yuki Soma, Hiroki Ito.

Japan’s starting XI against Germany! #FIFAWorldCup #SamuraiBlue pic.twitter.com/un7BxZytlZ

— J. Football Now (@j_football_now) November 23, 2022

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Germany and Japan were meeting for the first time at a World Cup. Germany were unbeaten in their two previous encounters with Japan, both in friendly internationals in 2004 and 2006 respectively. All seven goals in their two previous encounters were scored in the second half.

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But today, destiny had other plans. Penalty to Germany! Sakai was caught well out of position as Kimmich floated the ball over the top of him to Raum. The left-back cut onto his right foot but was taken down by Gonda, with Japan's goalkeeper being penalized for his attempted tackle and the referee pointing to the spot!

Gundogan finally discovered success in the box as he stepped up to take the penalty, sent Gonda the wrong way, and buried the ball into the left-hand corner to put Germany 1-0 up! A needless penalty to surrender from Japan's point of view, and after a promising start, the Samurai Blues lagged!

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Gundogan's penalty was the difference at the interval, as the Manchester City midfielder went close numerous times before slotting home his spot-kick. He's had three shots on target from five attempts, following 10 entries into the final third. He's completed 19 passes in the final third, as well as recovering possession back for his side five times, one of which came in Japan's defensive third.

HIGHLIGHTS

𝔽𝕀𝔽𝔸 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕓𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕖 & 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟.

What a half it's been! Germany almost suffered an early scare as Maeda tapped in after just eight minutes, but his offside position gave the 2014 champions a huge let-off. This spooked them into gear, and the remainder of the half was dominated by the Germans. They almost doubled it before half-time, as Havertz finished off a great attacking move, but he was also caught in an offside position.

Japan won only one of their last eight World Cup matches, coming in their opening match against Colombia in 2018. Keeping it one out of nine wasn't in their plans. The coach changed his formation to attack more, but time was running out. Japan were really going for it now, as starting right-back Sakai came off for another attacking option in Takumi Minamino.

They did it. GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!! Japan met parity, and boy do they deserve it!!! Mitoma drove forward before feeding Minamino, whose ball across the face was parried away by Neuer. Doan reacted quickest to smash the ball into the back of the net, and the three substitutes from Japan combined to put them back on level terms at 1-1!

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𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝟮𝟭 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵.

Can you believe it???? GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!! It's from another substitute! Madness! Absoulate madness! Itakura's long ball from a free-kick in his own half was met by Asano, who beat Schlotterbeck with a beauty of a first touch. He darted into the box and smashed a shot from the tightest of angles, which beat Neuer and flew into the roof of the net!!! What a turnaround, what a story, and what a finish to put Japan 2-1 up!!!

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Asano's introduction was the beginning of Japan's turnaround, with the striker popping up to score an unlikely winner 83 minutes in. Coming on after 57 minutes, the VFL Bochum forward had five shots from inside the box, with the one he scored being his sole effort on target. He had just five touches in the box, but won possession three times, once in the final third, and also made a clearance to get Japan out of trouble. Impact!!!

Germany were unbeaten in their last 21 World Cup matches when leading at half-time, dating back to 21st June 1978 against Austria, when they lost 3-2 in Argentina.

They thought they could avoid the same in 2022 when they claimed a penalty of their own after Fullkrug went down in the box, but replays showed Yoshida got the ball so had no case to answer!

This was Hansi Flick’s first major tournament as Germany manager. Jupp Derwall is the last manager to win a major tournament with Germany at the first attempt, doing so at EURO 1980. Matching that stat will be very difficult and with this loss it became more blurry but not impossible.

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Germany are beaten in their first game for the second successive World Cup, while Japan make the best possible start to their campaign in Qatar! What a way to kick off Group E!

🅷🅰🆅🅴  🅰  🅽🅸🅲🅴  🅳🅰🆈 ❗   🅰🅳🅸🅾🆂 ❗

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