Germany vs Japan. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats and more

Germany will meet with Japan in the FIFA World Cup 2022 1st group-stage match at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha. The fixture will take place on November 23, beginning at 18:30 IST.

The Germans enter the tournament buoyed as favorites and trophy contenders, while the Japanese might find it difficult to progress into the play-offs, given that Spain, another Group E rival, represents a serious threat, perhaps no less than Die Mannschaft. The Red Fury’s minimal objective is to reach the knock-out stage at least from 2nd place – they will surely be keeping an eye on this option if something goes wrong. And don’t forget about Costa Rica — the underestimation can play a cruel trick on their opponents. 

So, do the Samurai Blue look set to repeat the Saudi Arabian example and sensationally dazzle the German Machine in the first leg? Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

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Germany News & Current Form: 

The German team arrived at the World Cup hungry to make amends for an embarrassing performance four years ago. The DFB-Eleven failed to make it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia while UEFA EURO 2020 saw the same scenario. Just to recap, in the 2018 WC campaign, the Germans suffered a fatal blow against the Asian team, South Korea, which offers no reason to take today’s opponent lightly.

Also, it cannot be said that the German squad has become noticeably stronger since then, most likely – not, although it has enough potential to deliver a successful performance. For the Germans, advancing to the play-offs represents their minimum target, and the victory against the Japanese will be an important step on the way to reaching it.

Speaking of qualifying for the Mundial, the National Eleven got through it strongly and effectively, although it should be made clear that they had a frankly weak group there. The Germans notched up 27 points and finished 1st in Group J with a goal difference of +32 (36-4).

A more serious test was waiting for the Die Mannschaft in the UEFA Nations League – where they became brothers in misfortune with the French. In the group stage of the fledgling international tournament, the German players failed to qualify for the Final Four – in their group they finished 3rd behind the Italians and Hungarians. Of their 6 games in the Nations League, Germany have only won 1, while also drawing 4 and losing 1.

Here’s another fact that’s also worrying: in six of their last eight matches, the Black and Whites have not scored more than one goal. However, the exceptions have been resounding: three goals against England and five against Italy. For now, the Germans have been unable to consistently score that many goals. And here it should be understood that the reason for such difficulties is the change of generations that has fallen on Hans-Dieter Flick’s shoulders. In particular, the specialist was forced to reshape the attacking line-up literally ‘on the fly’. 

The problem remains acute, with the main striker currently being difficult to identify – the only profile established centre-forward, Timo Werner, misses the championship due to injury. After this devastating news, Flick invited in-form Niclas Füllkrug from the modest Werder Bremen (10 G + 3 A in 16 games) to join the squad, and he’ll be assisted in this position by 18-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko (6 G + 6 A in 22 games), a promising talent from Borussia Dortmund.

Another vital player in the attacking ranks, Marco Reus, was also sidelined during the 22/23 season. He is accompanied by Leroy Sane, while another BVB player – Karim Adeyemi – will miss the match due to a red card.

As for the Bundesliga side’s main stars, Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Müller are all considered to be among them. By the way, Musiala is only 19 years old, but he has already been producing sensational performances for Bayern Munich – in 28 games played this season he managed to score an admirable 12 goals + 11 assists.

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Speaking of the managerial figure – Hans-Dieter Flick is making his first appearance as a head coach at such a major tournament, although he has already made a name for himself. Two superb seasons at Bayern have seen him win seven trophies, including the UEFA Champions League and twice the Bundesliga. Owing to such a brilliant performance at Bayern, the mentor prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation. 

It is worth noting that in a recent friendly with Oman (1-0), Flick experimented with using the previously mentioned Moukoko as a centre-forward and then Füllkrug (who scored the winning goal).

It is difficult to foresee how the attacking line will perform in a major football tournament, but one thing is certain – do not count on a huge number of goals. In the opening game, both teams are unlikely to risk much from the off as they will spend a great deal of time on cautious exploration. This flow of play is not conducive to a high level of performance.

Japan News & Current Form: 

The Japanese national team qualified for the World Cup for the seventh time. The Samurai Blues conceded just six goals in 18 qualifying matches, comfortably pulling ahead of Australia and automatically securing a place in Qatar. The team’s scoring was subpar, but they were effective defensively, with a goal difference of +8 (12-4).

Japan is a consistently well-established participant in the World Cup and often makes it to the play-offs. Now it will be difficult for the representatives of the Land of the Rising Sun, given the fact that they are in a quartet with the winners of the World Cup 2014 and the World Cup 2010. It should also be remembered that at the WC in Russia, the Blues advanced to the play-offs at the expense of Senegal, who, with other indicators being equal, had more yellow cards, which was the first and only such case in the history of the Mundial that let the Islanders go further.

Previously, the Japanese have been lucky with the draw, but now they have no option but to scramble for weaknesses against strong teams. Or there is another option – to play from their own strengths.

The Japanese have gone 12 of their last 20 matches without conceding a goal. What’s more, the Islanders have lost only 2 of their last 10 matches. On the one hand, there is nothing to be surprised about, because the opponents were not always strong. But we shouldn’t forget that there were teams like Brazil, Paraguay, the USA, South Korea and Ghana, who either couldn’t get past the Japanese or were limited to just one goal.

The Japanese team know how to defend properly and they are also quite savvy with tactics which is amplified by cold-blood discipline. And their attacking options involve some strong players who are capable both of creating and finishing their chances, sometimes doing it solo. Such an approach to the game against Germany is unlikely to bring the Japanese victory. Indeed, they will put the emphasis on defence. The Germans in this situation are unlikely to score too much, if at all they can find a loophole to the opponent’s goal.

The squad is definitely inferior to the Germans, but there are quite strong and high-quality players from the top leagues of England, Germany, France and Spain. Daichi Kamada from German Eintracht has made 7+4 in 13 games, plus three goals in the Champions League, and Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco) always shows good football for the national team. We also expect a strong game upfront from Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) while Arsenal player Takehiro Tomiyasu will be responsible for defense. The defensive universal has already recovered from his injury at the beginning of the season, and he is looking to bring the experience of the English Premier League leadership to his compatriots.

Particularly worth mentioning here is the considerable depth of the bench, which really brings balance to the squad. For example, the main striking force of Kamada, Ito and Kubo can successfully replace Minamino, Mitoma and Doan without losing quality. 

In terms of personnel losses, the team lost defender Yuta Nakayama before the start, which means that the bulk of the load will go to 36-year-old Yuto Nagatomo. 

The head coach is Hajime Moriyasu, under whom the team managed to reach the finals of the Asian Cup 2019 – although they lost 1:3 to Qatar. In terms of play, the Japanese also prefer a 4-2-3-1 formation (they played with it in the 2018 FIFA World Cup), which can be swiftly transformed into a 4-4-2.

Speaking of the previous games, the WC warm-up encounter was not very successful as Moriyasu’s charges failed to beat Canada, conceding the decisive goal in the 96th minute (1:2). But the Samurai Blue are determined to get off to a strong start to their Mundial campaign, and the Germans certainly should not underestimate them.

Germany form guide: D-D-W-L-D-W

Japan form guide: D-W-L-W-D-L

Germany vs Japan: Head-To-Head Record: 

• October 6, 1963: Japan 1 – 1 West Germany (A v Amateur);
• January 17, 1968: Japan 0 – 1 West Germany (A v Amateur);
• December 16, 2004: Japan 0 – 3 Germany (International Friendly);
• May 30, 2006: Japan 2 – 2 Germany (International Friendly).

Germany vs Japan Predicted XI:

Germany possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kehrer, Sule, Rudiger, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan; Gnabry, Musiala, Sane; Muller.

Japan possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Gonda; Sakai, Tomiyasu, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Shibasaki, Endo, Kamada; Ito, Asano, Minamino.

Statistical preview of the match Germany vs Japan:

• On the eve of the World Cup, Germany occupied 11th place in the FIFA rankings. 
• Germany reached the FIFA World Cup group stage for the 17th time in a row. 

• Germany have conceded in 7 consecutive matches.
• Germany have scored in 12 of their last 13 matches.
• Germany’s team average age is 27.4.
• As for the Japanese, they are currently ranked 24th in the FIFA rankings. 
• Japan have scored in 9 of their last 10 matches.
• Japan are unbeaten in 10 straight matches
• The Japanese have left the field in 12 of their last 20 matches without conceding a goal. 
• Japan actually has a fairly senior team, with an average age of 29.

What has been said before the match:

Moriyasu Hajime, Japan national team gaffer: 

“I am confident about what the team has achieved so far. I will prepare so that the team can do its best against Germany. It will be a tough match, and all 26 members will need to give everything they’ve got to win”.

Germany’s team director Oliver Bierhoff said:

“We have to be prepared for a tough battle against Japan, to be focused from the very first minute. Then everything is possible with such a the team”.

Yuto Nagamoto from Team Japan said:

“Losing to Canada has given us a sense of urgency, which is a good thing. Everyone is talking to achieve the same goal. They are used to playing under intense pressure, which enables them to see the big picture, even though they are playing in their first World Cup. The team is benefiting from such confidence.” 

“We are not afraid of them, and I think we can go toe-to-toe with them.”

adds  Ritsu Doan.

Referring to his missed opportunities against Ecuador in September, he said:

“I have worked on my shots for a month with that image in my mind and prepared myself for the World Cup. I am confident that my efforts will pay off.”

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Germany vs Japan Prediction:

Germany enjoyed a good run in qualifying but did not fare well in the recent Nations League, finishing 1-1 in four games in a row. It’s not really clear how things will change at the Mundial, with DFB-Eleven hoping to repeat the triumph of England and France in their opening game, although there is not much to suggest they will. First, the Germans have some difficulties with their attacking line, and second, their rivals will be Japan, a team that is renowned for its defense. The Asians can surprise, all the more so because they have some players who can decide the outcome of the game on their own. However, it is Germany that is likely to triumph, but we shouldn’t expect plenty of goals here.

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Germany will not lose and the match total is less than 4.5 – Yes.