Japan beat Germany 2-1 in a historic comeback as the teams opened the World Cup in Qatar. The Germans, therefore, suffer again against an Asian team – after the defeat to South Korea, which led to their early elimination in the 2018 World Cup. At the Khalifa stadium, Gündogan opened from the penalty spot for Germany, while Doan and Asano scored the turnaround goals.

Japan take the lead in Group E with three points, while Germany are bottom – because Spain and Costa Rica still face each other this Wednesday. On Sunday, Japan takes on Costa Rica, and Germany takes on Spain.