Japan took on Hansi Flick’s Germany, one of the top contenders in Qatar 2022, at the Khalifa International Stadium. This was the first meeting between the two sides at a major tournament.
As expected initially, Germany dominated the majority of the possession from the beginning of the game, which forced Japan to play defensively throughout the whole game.
Samurai Blue had played well till the 32nd min, when they conceded a penalty with Shuichi Gonda’s clumsy challenge against David Raum. As a result of this, Ilkay Gundogan easily scored from the spot and made it 1-0, which was the only goal in the first half.
In the second half, Japan tried to defuse the situation by changing their formation from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1 and active substitutions. Thanks to these, the number of chances for them started increasing.
And finally, in the 76th min, Ritsu Doan who replaced Ao Tanaka equalised, and the brilliant strike from Takuma Asano gave Japan an unbelievable lead.
As a result, Japan who capitalised on precious opportunities provided the whole world with a second surprise in Qatar. On the other hand, it was an unexpected defeat for Germany, which now make it difficult for them to advance to the tournament.
