World Cup 2022 Germany Vs Japan, Tips & Predictions

The first game in Group E sees four-time winners Germany take on the Blue Samarai, Japan. The match will take place on Wednesday 23rd November 2022, kicking off at 1pm (Irish time), 3pm local time.

Hansi Flick’s Germany are in poor form heading into this tournament, but the Germans can never be written off and still possess some incredible talent in their ranks. Less is known about Japan, but Hajime Moriyasu’s side qualified well and have been in decent form heading to Qatar.

Unsurprisingly the World Cup betting has Germany as firm favourites for this game. 22bet have Japan at odds of 35/5 to claim a win here. And with Spain and Costa Rica making up the group, a defeat here for either side could be hard to come back from.

• These two teams have only ever met once before – playing out a 2-2 draw in an international friendly back in 2006.
• Germany are on a poor run of form heading into this World Cup. Hansi Flick’s men have won only one of their last six, although that was a 5-2 win over reigning European Champions Italy.
• Japan have won three of their last six matches heading to Qatar, and have lost only one game in that sequence – a 1-0 reverse to favourites Brazil.
• Despite having won this competition four times – a record only bettered by Brazil with five wins – Germany are not well fancied this time around. Indeed, bet365 currently list the Germans as sixth favourites, but at odds of 10/1. The same bookmaker places Japan way out at 250/1 to win the World Cup this time around.

If recent form is anything to go by, then the Germans will not have things all their own way in this encounter in Group E. Hansi Flick’s team have been on a poor run of form, winning only two of their last eight matches, conceding in seven of those games. However, the Germans also only failed to score in one of those games, so we should expect goals at both ends in this one, and indeed that’s our first betting tip.

BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE

With the Germans far from solid at the back, they should beware a Japanese attack that has scored twice against the USA and three times against South Korea in two of their last three games. Their most recent match ended in a 0-0 draw with Ecuador, but with the German defence far from at its imperious best, and both teams liable to leak goals, the safe bet is to back over 2.5 goals here.

OVER 2.5 GOALS TO BE SCORED

This is a far from vintage iteration of the mighty German national team that has claimed success in so many international tournaments. But one thing we do know is that this is a side that very often leaves its best form for those same major tournaments. There may well be goals, but we can expect Hansi Flick’s men to start their campaign with a win here, so our prediction is Germany to win.

GERMANY TO WIN

Germany

This is a struggling German side, and one that is a shadow of the squad that romped to success in Brazil eight years ago. However, everyone knows that the Germans are hard to beat at major tournaments, and Hansi Flick’s side still have plenty of talent, despite the poor run of results they are currently on. Bet against them at your peril.

Key Players: Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich is perhaps integral to his side’s success in Qatar, as is his midfield partner and Manchester City star İlkay Gündoğan. Chelsea’s Kai Havertz provides the goal threat, flanked my Bayern Munich pair Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané.

Team News: Coach Hansi Flick may well be rueing the international retirement of Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos.

Predicted Lineups: Neuer, Hofman, Süle, Rudiger, Raum, Kimmich, Gündoğan, Sané, Gnabry, Neuer, Havertz

Japan

Japan have qualified for their seventh World Cup finals tournament in a row, and their seventh overall. In the previous six, the team’s performance reads Group Stage, Round of 16, Group Stage, Round of 16, Group Stage and Round of 16. The odds are, then, on a Group Stage exit again this time. However, hopes are high as recent form has been good.

Key Players: Central to the team’s chances remains the squad captain Maya Yoshida, now plying his trade in Germany with Schalke. Yoshida sits fourth on the all-time caps list for his country, with 121 appearances to date. One of the players who sits ahead of Yoshida on that list is fellow defender Yuto Nagatomo, who remains pivotal in defence. Further forward, Moncao’s Takumi Minamino, formerly of Liverpool, could be the spark of this team.

Team News: Coach Hajime Moriyasu can report a clean bill of health heading into the tournament.

Predicted Lineups: Gonda, Nagatomo, Itakura, Yoshida, Nakayama, Endo, Haraguchi, Minamino, Ito, Tanaka, Furuhashi

The bookmaker’s betting odds peg Germany as firm favourites here, and that’s fair. Hansi Flick’s side have not been in great form recently, but still pack a lot of talent. Japan qualified well and are on the back of a good run of results, scoring along the way. This game could be a high-scoring thriller, but ultimately the class of Germany should tell.

Germany to win