In Qatar, Germany will be looking to erase the memory of the 2018 Russia World Cup, when it enters the fray against Japan. But watch out for the East-Asian team who managed to reach the quarter-finals 4 years ago.
✔ 1×2 Prediction: Germany vs. Japan
Today, Japan is considered the best nation in Asian football. We must remember that Germany was beaten by South Korea (0-2) in the group stages of the 2018 World cup, and was thus eliminated from the competition. However, no doubt the German team has learned from its errors and should bring home its first match in the tournament.
✔ Exact Score Prediction: Germany vs Japan
Germany will most certainly be looking to make a good start in the competition, after its disappointment in the 2018 World Cup and the Euro 2020. Watch out for Japan, who will be ready right from the first match. We favour a German victory by a small margin.
Victory for Germany
Finding itself in the same group as Spain, the German team must bring home the victory in this first encounter if it hopes to make the best possible start and see the quarter-finals. A score of 2-1 or 1-0 is the most likely.
Draw
A draw would be a very good result for Japan, an inferior team in terms of both quality and quantity in comparison to Germany. It’s not entirely unlikely given that the Germans are coming off the back of two disappointing competitions. That’s why a draw with goals is possible.
Victory for Japan
A Japanese victory against the German giant would be an achievement. And even if Germany has already experienced this situation against South Korea in 2018, the chances are slim. A score of even 0-1 or 2-1 would be surprising.
✔ Half-time/Full-time prediction: Draw 1st half; Germany 2nd half
The German team might be surprised in the beginning by the physical intensity and pressure of the Japanese. However, the Germans should pick up in the second half and take home the three points.
✔ Scorer Predictions: Germany vs. Japan
Timo Werner is the headliner at the heart of the German attack. His statistics in the national team are 22 goals in 49 caps. Dropped from the team for a year and a half between 2019 and 2021, Thomas Müller is back on the squad. Within this German lineup, he may well score. On the Japanese side, Takumi Minamino remains a key element of the team.
✔ Double Chance Scoring predictions: S. Gnabry / T. Asano
Undisputed headliner of Bayern Munich since his arrival in 2018, Serge Gnabry is impressive in the German squad, with a total of 20 goals in only 31 appearances. At the front of Japan’s attacking line-up, Takuma Asano must show up to allow his country to advance past the group stages.
📄 Match Analysis: Germany – Japan
Pre-bet Analysis
Despite their failures in the 2018 World Cup, and then the Euro 2020, Germany easily qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The German team has won nine of its last ten matches. Only the home defeat to North Macedonia stands out, but that remains a minor setback.
Japan also easily managed to get out of the Asian zone qualifying stages. First, they cruised through the second round at the top of their group with 8 wins in as many matches. Then, in the 3rd round, the team finished second, one point behind Saudi Arabia, but seven points in front of Australia. Japan did, however, lose against Oman (0-1) and Saudi Arabia (0-2).
Team Form
Germany dominated the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and is coming off a draw against the Netherlands (1-1) in a friendly. The UEFA Nations League in June will be a good test for them before the World Cup since the German team will be facing off against Italy, England and Hungary.
As part of the round of 16 in the 2018 World Cup, Japan sits on some good results against teams in its geographic zone. The EAFF E-1 Football Championship in June will serve as preparation for the team, who will come up against Hong Kong, China and South Korea.
