Bundesliga
Doan and Asano combine to see Japan past Germany
Freiburg's Ritsu Doan and Bochum's Takuma Asano helped Japan stun Germany in their opening group game of the 2022 World Cup, the Bundesliga pair firing the Samurai Blue to victory after Ilkay Gündogan's first-half penalty.
Goals: 1-0 Gündogan 33' (pen.), 1-1 Doan 75', 1-2 Asano 83' (assist: Itakura)
Japan served early notice of their intent as another Bundesliga duo, Wataru Endo and Daichi Kamada, dispossessed Gündogan, allowing Junya Ito to cross for Daizen Maeda to fire home – but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. Germany soon took control of the game – boasting close to 80 per cent possession at one point – with Antonio Rüdiger heading wide and Joshua Kimmich testing Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda with a fierce drive. The four-time world champions continued to turn the screw, and their pressure told when Gonda brought down David Raum in the penalty area after a lovely ball across from Kimmich. Gündogan made no mistake from the spot, and taking the lead only seemed to sharpen Germany's appetite. Some well-worked combinations saw Kimmich and Jamal Musiala go close, while Kai Havertz also had a goal chalked off for offside as Hansi Flick's men reached half-time with a 1-0 lead.
Germany made a blistering start to the second period, with Serge Gnabry clipping the top of the crossbar after a marauding run from Thomas Müller. Musiala could then have scored one of the goals of the tournament after shimmying his way past the entire Japan defence, but blasted over the bar. Gündogan also found the woodwork before Gonda produced two excellent saves to keep out substitute Jonas Hofmann and Gnabry. Not wanting to be outdone, Manuel Neuer then clawed out a deflected effort from Ito, but the Germany captain was powerless to prevent Freiburg winger Doan equalising with practically his first touch, after good build-up work from fellow substitute Takumi Minamino. Things went from bad to worse for Flick's side as Asano deftly controlled a long free-kick forward from Ko Itakura, shrugged off Nico Schlotterbeck and slammed home to put the Samurai Blue in front. Mario Götze, Niclas Füllkrug and Youssoufa Moukoko were all thrown on in the closing stages, and Leon Goretzka fizzed an effort just wide, but Japan's Bundesliga-powered side held on to claim a famous win.
Match stats
- Gündogan netted his first World Cup goal and 17th for Germany overall. The Gelsenkirchen native had only made one previous tournament appearance, in the group-stage win over Sweden in 2018.
- Moukoko made history as the youngest Germany player to appear at a World Cup finals, aged 18 and three days. He breaks the record held by Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (19 years and two months, 1958 World Cup).
- Germany lost their opening game for the third consecutive time at a major tournament, after the 2018 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020.
- Doan and Asano also opened their accounts at the World Cup. Both players were making their tournament debut.
- There are no fewer than eight Bundesliga or Bundesliga 2 players in Japan's World Cup squad: Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Doan (Freiburg), Asano (Bochum), Itakura (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Endo, Hiroki Ito, (both VfB Stuttgart), Maya Yoshida (Schalke) and Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Düsseldorf).
- The furthest Japan have ever got at a World Cup is the round of 16. They progressed to that stage in 2002, 2010 and 2018.
Line-ups
Germany: Neuer (c) – Süle, Rüdiger, Schlotterbeck – Gnabry (Moukoko 90'), Kimmich, Gündogan (Goretzka 67'), Raum – Müller (Hofmann 67'), Musiala (Götze 79') – Havertz (Füllkrug 79')
Unused subs: Trapp, ter Stegen, Ginter, Kehrer, Klostermann, Günter, Bella-Kotchap, Brandt, Adeyemi
Out: Sane (knee)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Japan: Gonda – Sakai (Minamino 75'), Itakura, Yoshida (c), Nagatomo (Mitoma 57') – Endo, Tanaka (Doan 71') – J. Ito, Kamada, Kubo (Tomiyasu 46') – Maeda (Asano 57')
Unused subs: Kawashima, Schmidt, Yamane, Taniguchi, Shibasaki, Morita, Machino, Ueda, Soma, H. Ito
Out: -
Coach: Hajime Moriyasu
As it happened!
1 - 2(1 - 0)
Germany
SECOND HALF
Japan
90' +6
vs
JAPAN BEAT GERMANY!
The corner is cleared, and the whistle sounds. Bundesliga duo Doan and Asano seal a famous comeback win for Japan over four-time world champions Germany. Absolute scenes!
90' +6
vs
DENIED!
Neuer rises among the ruck of shirts. Süle takes aim at the back post, but Stuttgart's Endo makes the block. He celebrates like his winning goal that kept VfB up on the final day of last season!
90' +6
vs
ALL OR NOTHING
Neuer's in the Japan penalty box as Kimmich prepares to swing in a free-kick from the right...
90' +4
vs
GORETZKA!
Phwoar! Not far away at all from Goretzka, who sends a first-time half volley wide from 18 yards. He caught it well - the shot just lacked a bit of precision.
90'
vs
MOUKOKO TIME
Youssoufa Moukoko, Dortmund's 18-year-old striker, is on for Gnabry. Germany have SEVEN minutes to get something out of this...
90'
vs
Youssoufa Moukoko
Serge Gnabry
87'
vs
CAVALRY...
Flick's preparing to roll the dice one last time. Japan have never beaten Germany...
83'
vs
JAPAN LEAD!
What a turnaround. A long ball finds Bochum's Asano in the box. He shows fantastic control, before firing high past Neuer at his near post. Thunderous hit. What a story - a Japan comeback, made in the Bundesliga!
79'
vs
DOUBLE GERMANY SWITCH
Flick responds by sending on the top-scoring German in club football, Niclas Füllkrug. He scored on his international debut last week. And Mario Götze, the hero of 2014, is also on.
79'
vs
Mario Götze
Jamal Musiala
79'
vs
Niclas Füllkrug
Kai Havertz
75'
vs
DOAN LEVELS!
The Freiburg man has Japan level against Germany! Again Neuer is forced into a save, but he can only put the ball back into the six-yard box where substitute Doan can tap in.
75'
vs
Takumi Minamino
Hiroki Sakai
73'
vs
NEUER TO THE RESCUE!
He's had very little to do all game but Neuer is there when needed again. Ito chests the ball down in the box and has a shot - deflected off Rüdiger - from six yards, but Neuer somehow adjusts to claw the ball away down to his left. Sakai then fires over the rebound with the goal gaping. This isn't over yet at 1-0...
72'
vs
ALL-BUNDESLIGA CHANGE
An attacking switch for Japan as Freiburg's Doan comes on for Tanaka of Düsseldorf.
72'
vs
Ritsu Doan
Ao Tanaka
71'
vs
DOUBLE GNABRY CHANCE!
Now the Bayern man has a couple of attempts. The first is parried away by the Japan goalkeeper but the ball comes back in and Gnabry leaps onto it from six yards. Again he's denied by Gonda.
70'
vs
HOFMANN DANIED!
Kimmich with the clipped ball over the top. Gnabry is in behind and lays it to Hofmann, who's denied by Gonda from close range.
69'
vs
JAPAN COMING OUT OF THEIR SHELL
The Asian champions have to make something happen and are now starting to push forward much more than we saw in the first half. But it means there could be more space for Germany to exploit if they can keep cool heads.
67'
vs
Jonas Hofmann
Thomas Müller
67'
vs
Leon Goretzka
Ilkay Gündogan
67'
vs
ITAKURA!
Deep corner from the left is met by Itakura. The Gladbach man plants his header back across goal, but Schlotterbeck is well positioned to clear before Neuer is called into action.
61'
vs
ASANO OVER
Now Japan suddenly spark to life. Asano found to the left of centre, he gets the ball out of his feet but fires well over on the angle.
60'
vs
OFF THE POST!
Müller lays the ball off to Musiala after a throw, the teenager taps it into the path of Gündogan, who's given time to shoot from 20 yards, but can only curl his low effort against the outside of the right post.
57'
vs
DOUBLE SWITCH
Japan send on two more fresh faces, including Bochum's Takuma Asano.
57'
vs
Takuma Asano
Daizen Maeda
57'
vs
Kaoru Mitoma
Yuto Nagatomo
205s
vs
WATCH: ANALYSING MUSIALA
If you're new to this Musiala kid, take a look at what he's all about in our analysis.
51'
vs
OH JAMAL!
What a goal this would've been. Past one, past three, past a couple of other defenders as he finds a half yard of space in the box. Dead centre, 12 yards out, he then blazes over! Musiala has done everything but score so far on his World Cup debut.
50'
vs
KAMADA DEFLECTED
Ito spins Schlotterbeck and keeps ahead of him as he tries to get into the box. He's half-tackled and the ball falls to Kamada, whose shot is deflected behind. Corner is immediately cleared, though.
47'
vs
CLIPS THE WOODWORK!
Great run through the centre from Müller, shrugging off Endo. He lays it right to Gnabry, who hits it quickly but only clips the frame of the goal.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
45' +6
vs
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takefusa Kubo
vs
HALF-TIME
Halfway through this first game of Group E and it's Ilkay Gündogan's 17th international goal - a penalty - that has Germany ahead in Qatar.
0 - 0
Half-time
45' +6
vs
MAEDA OFF TARGET
Suddenly Japan come close to getting level as Nagatomo fizzes in a cross. Maeda has to adjust his body and flicks his header only just wide.
45' +4
vs
OFFSIDE
Havertz tucks home a second after Kimmich has a shot parried and Gnabry squares in front of goal, but the Leverkusen youth product was beyond the last man before he tapped in.
45' +1
vs
ADDED TIME
Just the four extra minutes at the end of this half.
45'
vs
MUSIALA!
Germany go through the middle this time with a couple of passes. It finishes at Musiala on the edge of the area. He drops a shoulder to sell Gladbach's Itakura a dummy and get off a shot, but it's always rising.
41'
vs
MUCH OF THE SAME
Germany still seeing the vast majority of the ball as Kimmich fires off his country's 10th attempt of the half, this one going well over. Japan are yet to register a single attempt. Maeda's offside goal is the best we've seen from them.
31'
vs
PENALTY!
Great diagonal ball over the top finds Raum in space. Gonda comes flying out as the Leipzig man turns and is caught at the second attempt. The referee waits a moment and then points to the spot.
29'
vs
GUNDO AGAIN!
Ball out to Raum on the left, whose cross is palmed by the flying Gonda only as far as Gündogan. Again Japan put bodies on the line and get in a crucial block from close range.
28'
vs
STRAIGHT AT THE KEEPER
Another good move from Germany, this time down the right as Müller cuts back and it finds its way through to Gündogan 25 yards out. It's a good connection but straight at Gonda.
26'
vs
PENALTY CHECK
There's a VAR check for a potential handball as a Havertz cross is blocked, but nothing doing there.
20'
vs
KIMMICH!
There's the first real shot in anger. It's lovely play from Germany as Raum cuts back to Gündogan, who flicks it into the path of Musiala. He skips past one challenge but is dispossessed at the second attempt. The ball is free, though, and Kimmich latches onto it. Sweet strike but a comfortable height for Gonda to his right.
19'
vs
ALL THE BALL
Germany are up at around 80% possession now. They've struggled to do much with it, so Kimmich goes long with a diagonal over the top. Gnabry just manages to keep it in, but but knock into the box is cleared away.