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Germany and Japan lock horns at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday for a clash in Group E of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Die Mannschaft are looking to bury their painful memories of the last tournament, having gone out in the first round for the first time since the showpiece event in 1938.
Two defeats and just three points condemned the 2014 winners to the bottom of Group F, ending their title defense far earlier than expected.
Following their round of 16 exit from Euro 2020 last year, Joachim Loew stepped down as the head coach after 15 years in charge as Germany began a new era under Hansi Flick.
The former Bayern Munich manager is set to oversee his first major international tournament with the German national team, but it hasn't been a promising year for them.
The four-time world champions won just one of their six UEFA Nations League matches and avoided relegation to League B by the skin of their teeth.
Japan, meanwhile, qualified for the seventh time in their history, with all of those appearances happening consecutively since making their tournament debut in 1998.
The Samurai Blues sealed a direct entry to Qatar after finishing second in their group in the third round of the AFC qualifiers.
In their previous six appearances, the Asian giants have alternated between group stage and round of 16 exits in an interesting pattern.
Germany vs Japan Head-To-Head Stats
Germany are unbeaten in all four games against Japan, winning twice.
In 1963, the sides met for the first time in a clash which ended in a 1-1 draw, but Die Mannschaft secured a 1-0 victory in a similar encounter five years later.
It took almost four decades for their next clash as Germany beat Japan 3-0 in a friendly game in December 2004 and then shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw in May 2006.
Germany vs Japan: Numbers you need to know before their 2022 FIFA World Cup encounter
Germany and Japan will clash for the first time in more than 16 years. The Germans have won only three of their nine clashes this year, including a 1-0 victory over Oman in their final warm-up match before the World Cup.
Japan's only friendly game of the calendar year ended in a 2-1 loss to Canada in Dubai last Thursday. This will be Japan's seventh consecutive appearance in the competition and the 18th for Germany.
