Another Germany corner is swung in, but Gonda meets it with a thunderous punch clear, and the referee's whistle sounds!
90' +7
Germany gain a late free-kick, and the players are joined in the box by Germany goalkeeper Neuer, who is no stranger to coming forward for set-pieces!
90' +4
Germany claim a penalty of their own after Fullkrug goes down in the box, but replays show Yoshida got the ball so has no case to answer!
90' +3
A loose Schlotterbeck pass gives Asano space to run into beyond Rudiger. He links up with Doan, who finds Endo running into the box. He looks to find Mitoma, but Schlotterbeck intercepts to save Germany further embarrassment!
90' +1
We're into seven minutes of added time to close out this game, and with Germany behind, hold onto your hats!
90'
Y. Moukoko enters the game and replaces S. Gnabry.
Germany throw the dice as they take Gnabry off in their final change, and 18-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko comes on to become Germany's youngest-ever player at a World Cup.
88'
Japan want a penalty as Doan tries to turn Rudiger in the box after latching onto Asano's pass. He goes down under pressure, but the referee isn't swayed and calls play on!
87'
Germany start peppering the Japan box with crosses, but Minamino is back there to head it away powerfully.
85'
A Germany free-kick is curled into the box by Raum, but a good defensive header from Yoshida at the back post puts the ball behind for a corner.
Minute
Description
83'
T. Asano has scored a goal for Japan! Assist by K. Itakura.
GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!! Can you believe it???? Itakura's long ball from a free-kick in his own half is met by Asano, who beats Schlotterbeck with a beauty of a first touch. He darts into the box and smashes a shot from the tightest of angles, which beats Neuer and flies into the roof of the net!!! What a turnaround, what a story, and what a finish, to put Japan 2-1 up!!!
The ball from the back by Itakura looked innocent enough from a German point of view, but the touch, run and finish from Asano was anything but!
79'
N. Füllkrug enters the game and replaces K. Havertz.
M. Götze enters the game and replaces J. Musiala.
Havertz is also brought off by Hansi Flick, with Niclas Fullkrug coming on to offer a new avenue up front for the last minutes here.
Musiala comes off in Germany's latest change, and their current wonderkid is replaced by one of their young starlets from 2014, as winning goalscorer from the final, Mario Gotze, comes on.
75'
R. Doan has scored a goal for Japan!
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!! Japan have parity, and boy do they deserve it!!! Mitoma drives forward before feeding Minamino, whose ball across the face is parried away by Neuer. Doan reacts quickest to smash the ball into the back of the net, and the three Japan substitutes combine to put them back on level terms at 1-1!
74'
T. Minamino enters the game and replaces H. Sakai.
Japan are really going for it now, as starting right-back Sakai comes off for another attacking option in Takumi Minamino.
71'
R. Doan enters the game and replaces A. Tanaka.
Tanaka comes off next for Japan, and Ritsu Doan will replace the midfielder.
69'
The corner is arced towards the back post, where Itakura's header ricochets back to him. He's not expecting it though, and the loose ball rolls into the gloves of Neuer.
67'
J. Hofmann enters the game and replaces T. Müller.
L. Goretzka enters the game and replaces İ. Gündoğan.
Gundogan is also replaced in midfield, with Leon Goretzka coming on for the game's sole goalscorer.
Germany make their first changes of the match, the first of which sees Muller withdrawn for Jonas Hofmann.
66'
Asano receives a good ball and looks to turn away from Rudiger before shooting. He does so, but the effort is blocked behind by Rudiger, giving Japan a corner.
64'
Asano knocks a loose ball beyond Rudiger down the right-hand touchline, but the pacy Real Madrid centre-back is able to keep up, and shepherds the ball behind for a goal kick.
60'
Gundogan's wide pass to Gnabry is flashed across the face of goal, but Yoshida scythes it clear before Havertz can get there!
57'
K. Mitoma enters the game and replaces Y. Nagatomo.
T. Asano enters the game and replaces D. Maeda.
Nagatomo comes off next for Japan, who make an attacking change in the form of Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma.
Maeda is also withdrawn up front, with Takuma Asano replacing him.
55'
Raum finds space on the left and runs right into it, before threading it through for Havertz to chase. Gonda comes out to collect, but can't keep hold of the ball, and Musiala recovers the ball to cross before the offside flag goes up!
50'
Schlotterbeck is pulled out of position by Ito, who cuts inside and goes down in the box under pressure from Kimmich. Kamada strikes the loose ball first-time, and a deflection sends the ball over for a Japanese corner!
46'
T. Tomiyasu enters the game and replaces T. Kubo.
Japan kick off the second half, and we're back underway in Al Rayyan!
Kubo is withdrawn in Japan's only half-time change, and Arsenal full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu replaces him.
45' +6
HALF-TIME: GERMANY 1-0 JAPAN.
45' +4
Assist Serge David Gnabry
45' +2
Sule arrives in the box late and plays it wide to Muller. He drills a cross towards Musiala, but the teenager can't quite control the ball and Japan are able to clear.
45' +1
We've become accustomed to plenty of injury time so far at this World Cup, but just the four minutes have been added onto this first half.
44'
Gnabry's cross to the far post is met by a Japan defender, but the Germany winger recovers the ball before linking up with Musiala. He shapes to shoot before firing the ball across the face, but the ball skews left beyond Raum's reach.
38'
Gnabry flicks the ball inside to himself and lets fly from 25 yards, but his shot is blocked. Germany keep coming through, and after Muller's cross is headed away, Musiala dribbles into the box and shoots, but a deflection loops the ball into the air and Gonda punches clear!
36'
Kubo glides over a wild challenge from Schlotterbeck and races into open space. He floats a cross into the box, but it's headed clear by Gundogan before Maeda can get there!
35'
Ito finds space on the right again and frees up Sakai on a forward run. He crosses early with numbers in the box, but Raum blocks it behind for a Japan corner.
33'
Penalty goal scored by İ. Gündoğan for Germany!
GOOOAAALLL!!! Germany lead!!! Gundogan finally has success in the box as he steps up to take the penalty, sends Gonda the wrong way, and slots the ball into the left-hand corner to put Germany 1-0 up! A needless penalty to concede from Japan's point of view, and after a bright start, the Samurai Blues trail!
26'
Gnabry's cross from the right is headed away to Raum, who tees up Gundogan. He shoots from just inside the box, but Itakura gets in the way of it!
22'
From the corner, Tanaka's ball into the box is aimed towards the back post, where Itakura and Sakai get in each other's way and send the ball bobbling wide of the post.
21'
Raum is dispossessed by Kubo in his own half, and the Samurai Blue winger sets off into space. He crosses early for Maeda, but Rudiger cuts the ball out and it goes behind for a corner!
19'
Gnabry races and stretches to keep and aerial cross-field pass in the field of play, but Tanaka recovers the ball for Japan before being fouled by Havertz.
14'
Musiala strides down the left and plays a one-two with Raum. He lays the return ball off to Kimmich, whose shot from 20 yards is blocked by Endo!
12'
Raum's cross from the left is met by a defensive header from Itakura, and Japan look to send Ito away on the counter once more, but Germany are able to recover possession.
7'
Germany and Japan are meeting for the first time at a World Cup. Germany are unbeaten in their two previous encounters with Japan, both in friendly internationals in 2004 and 2006 respectively. All seven goals in their two previous encounters were scored in the second half.
5'
After some good pressing from Maeda forces Rudiger back, Japan come straight back at Germany following the clearance. Ito darts down the right before attempting to cross from the touchline, and Gundogan blocks the ball behind for the game's first corner.
1'
Havertz and Kimmich get this game started, and we're off and running in Group E of the Qatar World Cup!
Hello, and welcome to live coverage of this fixture from the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as Germany face Japan in Group E.
While Germany were the first side – other than hosts Qatar – to qualify for the tournament, Japan’s route to the final was a rockier one, finishing second in their qualification group behind Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Falcons shocked the world by beating Argentina in their opening game of this tournament, and the Samurai Blues will be hoping for a similarly seismic result in their favour against Germany.
The 2014 champions get their 2022 World Cup campaign underway again Japan, hoping to avoid a repeat of their disastrous 2018 tournament, where they were dumped out in the group stage in a meek defence of their title.
JAPAN (4-2-3-1): Shuichi Gonda; Hiroki Sakai, Ko Itakura, Maya Yoshida, Yuto Nagatomo; Ao Tanaka, Wataru Endo; Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo; Daizen Maeda.
GERMANY SUBS: Kevin Trapp, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Matthias Ginter, Thilo Kehrer, Leon Goretzka, Niclas Fullkrug, Mario Gotze, Lukas Klostermann, Julian Brandt, Jonas Hoffman, Leroy Sane, Christian Gunter, Karim Adeyemi, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Youssoufa Moukoko.
GERMANY (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Niklas Sule, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum; Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gundogan; Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala; Kai Havertz.
The teams are out on the pitch in Al Rayyan, and following the national anthems, we'll be underway!
The teams return for the second half, with this game still far too close to call!
What a game, and what a result that is for Japan! Germany had the better of the second half's early stages, and were unlucky not to add to their 1-0 lead. However, Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu made a raft of substitutions, which proved to be the game-changer for Japan. Mitoma, Minamino and Doan all combined for the first goal, scored by the latter, before Asano created something from nothing to smash home the winner as Japan turned the game around! Germany are beaten in their first game for the second successive World Cup, while Japan make the best possible start to their campaign in Qatar!
Well, what a way to kick off Group E! Germany sit at the bottom of the group following that defeat, while Japan are at the top with one win from one! Spain and Costa Rica are yet to play their corresponding fixture, but if the rest of the games are anything like this one, we're in for one hell of a treat, and a very competitive set of fixtures.
That's all from us, we hope you enjoyed that upset victory! The next one can't be too far away, and we'll see you then!
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