FULL TIME: GERMANY 1-2 JAPAN!

An incredible second-half performance from Japan sinks the former World Champions. Let Germany dominate the first half and never allowed them back into the game and key substitutions worked to perfection. Absolute Warriors!

90+5' MISS! Clean connection for Goretzka for a half volley from distance, inches wide. The Japanese had their hearts in their mouth for a while.

90+3' Calls for a penalty as Yoshida clashes with Goetze in the Japan box. The referee is not interested.

Added Time: 7 Minutes

90' Substitution for Japan: Youssoufa Moukoko replaces Serge Gnabry. 

86' Germany have a corner delivered but the Japanese clear their lines!

84' GOAAAALLL!!!! JAPAN!!!!!!!!

Long ball from Endo finds Takuma Asano who beats Neuer on the near post as some terrible defending is displayed by Germany!

81' Germany have a corner kick. Gnabry misses!

79' Substitution for Germany: Mario Goetze replaces Jamal Musiala!

79' Substitution for Germany: Niclas Fulkrug replaces Kai Havertz.

75' GOAAALLL!!!!! JAPANNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

It was coming! Wasn't it?! RITSU DOAN SCORES immediately after coming in to play as Asano breaks the German defence with a brilliant link up play with Tomiyasu!

73' HOW DID JAPAN NOT SCORE THERE? Asano and Tomiyasu both just have Neuer to beat but they mess up with their finishing!

71' INCREDIBLE GOALKEEPING! Japan caught snoozing at the back as Hoffmann has a shot on goal which is saved, the ball is stranded and Gnabry has a shot which is saved by Gonda, Gnabry has the second bit of cherry as Gonda saves again for a German corner. 

69' CLOSE! Asano's strike goes wide, Japan coming closer and closer!

68' Substitution for Germany: Leon Goretzka replaces Ilkay Gundogan.

68' Substitution for Germany: Jonas Hoffman replaces Thomas Mueller.

68' Japan have a corner and the Germans clear their lines. The course of the game has changed as Japan dictate the terms of the game and dominating possession.

66' Asano has a shot on target and the shot is saved for a Japan corner.

62' Japan showing a bit of change in their approach. They are coming out of their defensive closet and trying to press Germany. About time!

61' MISS! Japan hit Germany on counter. Japan have Asano on the left, who goes for the spectacular and misses the goal.

61' Germany keep knocking. Now Serge Gnabry has a shot at goal but his attempt is blocked.

60' OFF THE POST! Acres of space behind the Japanese midfield as Ilkay Gundogan goes for goal and hits the right goal post! Japan survive.

59' Asano has an instant impact. He gets ahead of his marker Rudiger and tries to score off a cross at the near post but he is offside.

57' Substitution for Japan: Kaoru Mitoma replaces Yuto Nagatomo.

56' Substitution for Japan: Takuma Asano replaces Daizen Maeda.

54' Kai Havertz has a one vs one situation after a pass from Raum, but Havertz is marked offside.

52' MISS! Jama Musiala goes solo inside the Japan box, goes past several defenders and has a shot on goal and the shot is wide.

51' Kamada gets in a corner but Germany get clear with Serge Gnabry leading the charge.

50' Daichi Kamada goes for the goal and the shot takes a deflection and Japan have a corner.

46' MISS! Serge Gnabry goes wide with a powerful shot as Japan leave out acres of space in the left side of the Japanese defensive half.

46' Substitution for Japan: Takehiro Tomiyasu replaces Takefusa Kubo.

46' Second-half kicks-off!

HALF TIME: Germany 1-0 Japan

Japan have looked good on counters but they are bit too defensive. Germany have controlled the first half and have a deserving lead at the break, thanks to a penalty from Ilkay Gundogan.

45+5' MISS! Superb cross from Nagatomo to find Daizen Maeda but he heads wide from close range. That was close!

45+4' Germany have a goal but Kai Havertz is marked offside after a VAR check.

Additional Time: 4 Minutes

44' MISS! Jamal Musiala also has an attempt on goal from outside the box but his shot also is an elevated one and Japan has a goal-kick.

42' Joshua Kimmich goes high and mighty from outside of the box after a decent German move.

40' Japan try to break on counter. Takefusa Kobo finds Ao Tanaka in the German box but the latter cannot get his first touch right and Germany get the ball back.

38' Pressure on Japan as a long swirling ball is punched away by Gonda, but not so convincingly. Germany come again but Japan manage to clear their lines for safety.

37' Chance for Germany bas Takefusa Kubo only has one defender to bit and set up Daichi Kamada but his pass is inaccurate and Germany recover.

36' Antonio Rudiger jumps higher than anybody and clears the corner with ease.

35' Corner for Japan as Sakai forces Sule to make a deflection.

33' GOAL! GERMANY LEAD! Ilkay Gundogan slots it home from the spot as Gonda jumps the other way. The Germans had it coming. They have been the better side after an initial sloppy start.

32' PENALTY FOR GERMANY! Shuchi Gonda makes a mess of a simple collection and Germany have a penalty.

30' Trouble for Japan! Japan struggle to clear their lines as Musiala sets up Gundogan inside the box whose shot is blocked, the ball keeps bobbling in the box and Japan get their lines cleared.

28' Brilliant phase of play from Germany. They crack open the Japan defence and Gundogan has a shot from distance but the shot is saved.

25' Kai Havertz has space to exploit down the left side but Japan clear their lines. There is a VAR check for a penalty for Germany but the decision is that there is no penalty.

23' The corner is taken short and Hiroki Sakai has a header but the header is wide. 

22' Japan come on quick after Niklas Sule gives the ball away cheaply. They have a corner.

20' SAVE! Shuichi Gonda makes a terrific save to deny Kimmich from distance. The ricochet falls to Gundogan who is flagged offside.

18' Japan after dominating for five minutes are now sitting back, looking to hit the Germans on counter. With someone like Maeda who makes early runs, it is evident what Japan are trying to do here. Let German have a control on the game and get vital possession on the ball and quickly counter charge.

15' CLOSE! Rudiger heads wide from a German corner as the Japanese keeper Shuichi Gonda has to make a full length stretch to ensure that he had his posts covered!

12' The game is progressing in a very versatile approach from both the teams. Germany are now playing with patience and building up slowly but the Japanese are sitting very deep. 

9' Japan looking settled now as the game progresses with the Germans struggling to hold on to the ball. Time for Asia. Is it? 

7' SCARE FOR THE GERMANS! Daizen Maeda finds the back of the net but he is a mile offside as he runs early to meet the Hiroki Sakai cross.

5' Japan's corner is well defended by the Germans.

4' Germany looking good as expected but Japan have an early corner as they try to break on counter through Junya Ito.

2' Serge Gnabry tries to go solo amidst the Japanese defence but the is outmuscled by the Asians.

1' KICK-OFF! The Germans get us started here at the Khalifa International Stadium. They are in their traditional whites while the Samurai Blue are in Blue.

The National Anthems are sung and pleasantries are exchanged! All set for kick-off!

Substitutes

Germany: Kevin Trapp (GK), Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Matthias Ginter, Thilo Kehrer, Leon Goretzka, Niclas Fullkrug, Mario Gotza, Lukas Klostermann, Julian Brandt, Jonas Hofmann, Leroy Sane, Christian Gunter, Karim-David Adeyemi, Armel Kotchap, Youssoufa Moukoko

Japan: Eiji Kawashima (GK), Daniel Schimidt, Miki Yamane, Shogo Taniguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Ritsu Doan, Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamono, Hidemasa Morita, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Takuma Asano, Shuto Machino, Ayase Ueda, Yuki Soma, Hiroki Ito

LINE-UPS ARE IN!

Germany XI: Manuel Neuer (GK), David Raum, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule, Thilo Kehrer, Ilkay Gundogan, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry, Kai Havertz

Japan XI: Shuichi Gonda (GK), Kou Itakura, Yuto Nagatomo, Hiroki Sakai, Maya Yoshida, Wataru Endo, Takefusa Kubo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka, Daizen Maeda

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Hello and Welcome to the FIFA World Cup 2022 game between Germany and Japan in Group E at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al-Rayyan.