Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
After surviving Oman (1-0) in their last warm-up game, German will look to make a flying start to their World Cup campaign when they face Japan on Wednesday afternoon. Hansi Flick’s troops are widely expected to secure a top-two finish in Group E, but the former Bayern Munich boss must warn his men against complacency. Both Antonio Rudiger and Thomas Muller should be fit for the World Cup opener, while Niclas Fullkrug is pushing for a start after scoring the winner against Oman.
Leipzig defender Lukas Klostermann is a major doubt after limping off with injury in Wednesday’s friendly. The Samurai Blue, on the other hand, are likely to rely on their rock-solid defence in the opening match of their World Cup campaign, but preventing the likes of Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, and Kai Havertz from scoring at Khalifa International Stadium is easier said than done. A man to watch in the away side will be Arsenal wing-back Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Highlighted Player (Thomas Muller):
Thomas Muller is pacey attacker who plays for Bayern Munich and German national team. Muller is a product of Bayern Munich’s youth academy and he played 35 games for the reserve team, scoring 16 goals in the process.
The German striker, who is capable of producing fine performances as a winger as well, won the Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich in 2013 as the mighty Bavarians defeated fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in the final of the elite competition. Muller clinched the FIFA World Cup trophy with Germany in 2014, while making it to the European Championship final in 2012. It has to be noted that he won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot in 2010.
Thomas Muller has a contract with Bayern Munich which expires on 30 June, 2021. The German footballer, who was born in Weilheim in Oberbayern on 13 September, 1989, won his fifth Bundesliga trophy with Bayern Munich in the 2015/2016 season.
Highlighted Team (Japan):
Japan national team have been making progress year by year. The Samurai Blue are regarded as one of the best Asian teams and they have established themselves as the regular participants of the FIFA World Cup finals. Japan qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France for the first time in the national team’s history, but they have been taking part at the showpiece tournament ever since.
The Samurai Blue then co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea and they did well to make it to the last 16 of the major tournament. The Japanese national team repeated the success eight years later in South Africa, where they were beaten by Paraguay on penalties in the last 16.
It has to be noted that Japan are the only Asian team that participated in the Copa America, with the team taking part in the 2009 and the 2011 tournament. The Samurai Blue wear blue shirts and blue shorts when playing at home, whereas their away kits are grey-white.