The 2014 Champions needed at least a point against South Korea to progress to the next stage in 2018, they went on to lose that game by 2-0 and got knocked out in shame. They kick start the 2022 edition against similar opposition in Japan this time, a nation most pundits have tipped to do well against all odds. It’s a different crop of players that Hans Flick has brought to Qatar with youngsters like Karim Adeyemi and Jamal Musiala to make the Die Mannschaft look a bit sharper going forward.
While it might seem like the Germans aren’t in the best of form going into this fixture, my contrasting view has me giving this game to them owing to the fact that they come with different quality looking to make things happen. After a disappointing exit in the last Euros, expect Germany to set the records straight and how better can they send a message to the rest of the teams asides a convincing victory against lesser opposition like Japan?
Hajime Moriyasu will mix it in defense for the Asians; his preferred defensive partnership seems like Maya Yoshida and Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu, a blend of experience and youth and brings the right balance with a left and right sided player filling the two positions. In the full back positions, Nagatomoand Sakai look set to start in a back four as I expect the Japanese to try and entertain with high tempo attacking football. Where they fall short is in the goal scoring department where they’d be looking on Takuma Asano and ex Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino to deliver against top class defenders like Antonio Rudiger and Niklas Sule.
It’s difficult to see the underdogs prevail in this fixture, the difference in quality is staggering and for sure you’d expect the Germans to deliver on the big stage where they’ve often been reliable. They might not parade the generation of Mesut Ozil, Sammy Khedira and Toni Kroos but there are fantastic young talents in these areas hungry to fill the boots of the retired legends and they will do so under the guidance of veterans IkayGundogan and Joshua Kimmich
PLAYERS TO WATCH
You’d expect exciting talents like Youssoufa Moukoko or Serge Gnabry to be mentioned but Thomas Muller (33) will have one eye on his goal scoring record at the world cup knowing fully well that this is indeed his last dance at the competition. You can count on the Bayern forward to be the difference when necessary with his ability to get into dangerous areas and score goals. He’s definitely one to be worried about as a Japanese defender.
However, on the other side of the pitch, Minamino looks the most potent forward when it comes to delivering goals in this Japanese side, the team’s level of discipline and desire will go a long way as to how they manage the game against an obviously better opposition, they can score goals but they do concede a lot as well.
PREDICTION by Charles. E. Ofili
GERMANY 2-1 JAPAN
