The Matchday 1 clash of the FIFA World Cup between Germany and Japan in Group E will take place on November 23 at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha. Kick-off is at 16:00 Moscow time. Germany vs. Japan: prediction and betting odds, World Cup 2022 match statistics.
Referee: Ivan Barton (El Salvador)
Matches – 5 (International matches, 2022);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 17;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 60%.
Germany vs. Japan: Predicted Lineups
Germany: Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rüdiger, Niklas Süle, David Raum, Nico Schlotterbeck, Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gündogan, Serge Gnabry, Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Thomas Müller.
Japan: Shuichi Gonda, Yuto Nagatomo, Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Sakai, Ko Itakura, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Ao Tanaka, Daizen Maeda.
Germany
The Germans had no trouble qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, finishing first in their group by winning 9 out of 10 matches. Notably, Germany displayed an exceptionally high-scoring performance in the qualifiers, averaging 3.6 goals per game.
The previous World Cup in Russia was a disappointment for Germany, as they finished last in their group and failed to advance past the group stage for the first time in history. Germany has not won in regulation time in 3 of their last 4 World Cup matches (1 draw, 2 losses), and they failed to score in the first 90 minutes of any of those three games.
Due to injuries, Marco Reus and Timo Werner will miss the tournament. However, Borussia Dortmund's young talent Youssoufa Moukoko will be available to play in attack. Additionally, coach Hansi Flick has recalled Mario Götze to the squad, who last played for Germany in 2017. Ahead of the upcoming match, midfielder Leroy Sané sustained an injury during training and will miss Germany's opening World Cup game.
Japan
Japan also qualified for the World Cup in Qatar without any issues. In the first group stage, they won all 8 matches with an impressive goal difference of 46:2, against opponents like Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Myanmar. In the next qualifying group, Japan finished second, one point behind Saudi Arabia. In the 10 matches of the second qualifying round, Japan secured 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses.
The team performed well in the last World Cup, advancing from the group stage in second place, ahead of Senegal and Poland. However, they were defeated by Belgium 2-3 in the Round of 16. Japan has struggled to win in regulation time, failing to do so in 7 of their last 8 World Cup matches (3 draws, 4 losses). Notably, the "Both Teams to Score – Yes" bet has been successful in 4 of Japan's last 5 World Cup games.
Germany vs. Japan: Match Prediction
Germany is expected to redeem themselves after their previous World Cup disappointment. I anticipate that the team will at least reach the quarterfinals. Germany's main issue in the 2018 World Cup was weak attacking play, which should be addressed by Leroy Sané, Ilkay Gündogan, and Serge Gnabry in the current squad.
Japan had an outstanding qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup and will not be an easy opponent in the upcoming match. Many of the team's players compete in European leagues and have extensive experience playing against top teams.
For this match, I would focus on the total goals. Considering the significant attacking potential of both teams, at least three goals can be expected in this encounter. My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
