Germany’s bid to regain its status as a Turniermannschaft (tournament team) begins with a group stage match against Japan on Wednesday afternoon.
Die Mannschaft have taken a slight stumble in recent matches, finishing third behind Hungary and Italy in the recently concluded Nations League. It wasn’t a welcome preparation for the World cup.
However, they should have what it takes for Japan, which earned second place to Saudi Arabia in the qualifications.
- Location: Ar-Rayyan, Qatar
- Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
- Date: Wednesday 23 November
- Kick-off Time: 13:00 GMT / 08:00 ET / 05:00 PT
Germany vs Japan Match Prediction
Fans of the German team will be privy to a good number of players from Japan’s squad. Eight of Moriyasu’s side, play their football in Germany’s top two leagues – only seven plays in Japan.
Both nations share a significant knowledge of the Bundesliga and a passion for football. The teams are experienced at managing matches within their respective confederations, yet neither is proficient at turning possession into penetration without a prolific center-forward at their disposal.
Flick acknowledged that the expectations in Germany are high. Even if his side manages to start the campaign with a win, whether they will ultimately attain those goals is not as certain.
Prediction: Both Teams to Score, Germany & Over 2.5 Goals
Germany Lineup:
Germany Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kehrer, Sule, Rudiger, Raum; Kimmich, Goretzka; Hofmann, Musiala, Sane; Havertz. Bench: Trapp, Ter Stegen, Ginter, Klostemann, Gunter, Schlotterbeck, Bella-Kotchap, Gotze, Muller, Brandt, Gundogan, Fullkrug, Gnabry, Adeyemi, Moukoko.
Japan Lineup:
Japan Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Shimdt; Sakai, Yoshida, Tomiyasu, Nagatomo; Shibisaki, Morita; J Ito, Kamada, Kubo; Minamino.
Bench: Kawashima, Gonda, Yamane, Taniguchi, Itakura, H Ito, Endo, Doan, Mitoma, Tanaka, Soma, Asano, Machino, Ueda, Maeda.
