Germany and Japan will kickoff their 2022 World Cup campaign against one another on Wednesday, November 23.
Hansi Flick's side will be hoping to avoid a repeat of 2018 where they crashed out in the group stages after winning the title in 2014.
Japan, meanwhile, will be hoping to do what South Korea did four years ago, and claim a famous win against the European giants on the biggest stage.
Germany have been in mixed form this year and as a result have gone under the radar heading into Qatar. This match against Japan will prove a good guide of where they're at and whether they can be World Cup challengers.
Germany vs. Japan live stream, TV channel
This game will be played at 4 p.m. local time in Qatar at the Khalifa International Stadium.
No one’s talking about Germany as a candidate to win the 2022 World Cup, and history has shown that it’s just in these instances that the Germans find a way to rise to the occasion. But they have some weaknesses and Japan’s quick transition could expose them, making for a fascinating Group E opener.
Here's how you can watch all the action in the major global territories.
| Date | Time | TV Channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Wed, Nov. 23 | 08:00 ET | FS1, Telemundo | fuboTV, Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes site/app, Peacock |
| Canada | Wed, Nov. 23 | 08:00 EST | TSN, RDS (French) | TSN site/app |
| UK | Wed, Nov. 23 | 13:00 GMT | ITV 1, STV (Scotland) | ITV Hub / ITVX, STV Player (Scotland) |
| Australia | Thu, Nov. 24 | 00:00 AEDT | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| India | Wed, Nov. 23 | 18:30 IST | Sports18 | Voot, JioTV |
| Hong Kong | Wed, Nov. 23 | 21:00 HKT | Now TV (Ch. 616, 618) | Now TV |
| Malaysia | Wed, Nov. 23 | 21:00 MYT | Astro | Astro GO |
| Singapore | Wed, Nov. 23 | 21:00 SGT | StarHub (Ch. 251/252), Singtel TV | Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV+, MeWatch |
| New Zealand | Thu, Nov. 24 | 02:00 NZDT | Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports | Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW |
Germany vs. Japan lineups
Germany will be without two well-known forwards for this World Cup in the form of Marco Reus and Timo Werner, who both picked up injuries at the worst time. Veteran Thomas Muller hurt his hip last month and is unlikely to feature in this opening match.
Germany (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Neuer (GK) — 16. Klostermann, 5. Kehrer, 4. Ginter, 3. Raum — 21. Gundogan, 5. Kimmich — 10. Gnabry, 7. Havertz, 19. Sane — 9. Fullkrug.
Japan had to replace Yuta Nakayama in their final squad due to injury, while Takefusa Kubo managed to shake off an injury in time.
Japan (4-2-3-1, right to left): 12. Gonda (GK) — 2. Yamane, 4. Itakura, 3. Taniguchi, 26. Ito — 17. Tanaka, 7. Shibasaki — 24. Soma, 10. Takumi, 11. Kubo — 18. Asano.
Germany vs. Japan odds, prediction
Despite their mixed form, Germany are strong favourites to beat Japan in this game.
While Germany may well get the result, it's unlikely to be a thrashing so the best value appears to be banking on few goals and a clean sheet for Flick's side.
Prediction: Germany to win 2-0
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and LadBrokes (Australia).
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | LadBrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany win | -210 | 1.36 | 4/9 | 4/9 |
| Draw | +350 | 4.93 | 18/5 | 10/3 |
| Japan win | +550 | 7.01 | 6/1 | 11/2 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -120 / -115 | 1.77 / 1.83 | 4/5, 10/11 | 3/4, 1/1 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -160 / +110 | 1.66 / 2.14 | 8/13, 6/5 | 8/3, 6/5 |
| Germany -1.5 | +120 | 2.24 | — | — |
| Japan +1.5 | -175 | 1.63 | — | — |