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Germany kick-off their Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign against Japan hoping to banish the ghosts of Russia, and they are finally looking to the next generation
Germany have a plethora of young players looking to make their mark in major international tournaments, but none are more heralded than Jamal Musiala. Die Mannschaft will be hoping that he can make a difference in the World Cup when they face Japan's tricky Blue Samurai.
Head-To-Head
Germany and Japan Match Forms
Germany
Japan
Players to watch
Germany
Joshua Kimmich
Few players have as much of an impact on a game as Joshua Kimmich, whether he plays as a wingback or a midfielder. He excels in progressive passes, progressive carries, passes into the penalty area, and literally any other metric that shows a player’s importance to build up.
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Without him, both Germany and Bayern struggle to break lines or break down tough defenses, so you can expect him to be key to every buildup Germany conjures against Japan.
Jamal Musiala
Jamal Musiala is one of the best young players in the world. Some would even consider him THE best young player in the world. He was Bayern’s top scorer in the Bundesliga before the season went on break, and his prodigious talent is starting to earn him a reputation in the football world.
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At the 2022 World Cup, he could grow that reputation even further with more impressive performances, and where better to start than against Japan?
Japan
Takumi Minamino
Former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino is the highest goal-scoring Japanese player in their World Cup squad and is their most reliable goalscorer.
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He scored 10 goals in qualifying for the Qatar World Cup, and if Japan are to cause an upset, it will be Minamino carrying most of their attacking burden.
Takefusa Kubo
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Takefusa Kubo, a La Masia graduate and one of Japan's most creative midfielders, is still only 21 years old and represents both the present and the future of the sport in his nation.
Due to his cunning, inventiveness, and penchant for the unexpected, Kubo has earned the moniker "the Japanese Messi," but Japan will be hoping he channels Lionel Messi's club form rather than his World Cup form when they play Germany.
Coaches
Hansi Flick
Hansi Flick’s record as a manager speaks for itself. He was a sextuple champion with Bayern before becoming the head coach of the German national team, and he'll be looking to apply that level of expertise to the German team.
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This is Flick’s first major tournament with Germany, and with one of the best squads in the world, it would not be too much to expect him to get to another final with Germany after winning the 2014 World Cup as assistant manager.
Hajime Moriyasu
Hajime Moriyasu narrowly missed out on participating in the World Cup as a player with Japan, but now has the chance as a manager to lead Japan to their sixth World Cup, hoping to move past the round of 16 for the first time in their history.
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To do that, a decent start against European giant Germany is needed, and Moriyasu’s tact and guile will need to be perfect for them to claim a scalp this big.
Predictions
Germany are heavy favorites to beat Japan, and by a wide margin. They have one of the best teams at the World Cup and are even tipped to win the tournament as a whole, so they’ll be raring to go in their first game. Germany should be winning this, and if Japan gets as much as a goal, they should consider it a miracle.
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