Germany v Japan LIVE - Qatar World Cup 2022 updates as Japan come back from behind to stun Germany

Havertz gets to the byline and tries to pull back a dinked cross towards Gnabry running towards goal but is quickly shut down by Ko Itakura, and VAR is checking whether it came off the defender's hand.

Kimmich has another go from outside the box and fires a thumping effort toward Shuichi Gonda, and the goalkeeper does well to beat it away as far as Gundogan who makes a mess of the rebound and fires high and wide with a first-time effort.

Germany have their first corner of the game and Rudiger is found toward the back post, but he poorly guides his header slightly wide as it tickles the side netting on its way behind.

Kimmich receives the ball to his feet 25 yards from goal, but as he looks to pull the trigger is quickly closed down and has hid effort blocked. Japan have hardly allowed Germany a second on the ball in dangerous areas in the opening 13 minutes.

The players covered their mouths in the pre-match team photo in response to not being able to wear the One Love armband, according to reports.

But the assistant referee has his flag up for offside! Ao Tanaka dispossesses Ilkay Gundogan in the middle of the pitch and offloads the ball to a rapid Junya Ito, who drives forward and plays a delightful low cross towards Maeda at the back post, but he's made his run too early and is two or three yards offside.

But the former Chelsea man does well to clear up. Both are quick on their feet and as Daizen Maeda chases a ball with only Antionio Rudiger between him and the goal, the defender is able to match Maeda and play the ball back to Manuel Neuer.

Serge Gnabry tries to dribble his way into the box but is denied on the edge as two Japan defenders come together to block his path.

Germany get the second match of the day underway!

The teams are out and bellowing their respective national anthems.

Joshua Kimmich wants to finally put the 2014 World Cup to bed with a perfect start against Japan.

"Our motivation is huge, we know that was terrible what happened and we have had quite the wait, four-and-a-half-years," he said.

Joachim Low's final World Cup campaign ended in disaster when Germany finished bottom of Group F in Russia four-and-a-half years ago. That year they were grouped with Sweden, Mexico, and South Korea.

Before that, they won the tournament in 2014 and reached the semi-finals in South Africa in 2010 and Germany in 2006 respectively.

Hansi Flick, who was assistant to Low in 2014, takes charge of his first World Cup game and will look to emulate his predecessor in Qatar.

The German wunderkid becomes the youngest player in 64 years to represent Germany at the World Cup, the nation's fourth youngest player to do so.

He played in the England youth set-up with Jude Bellingham before switching alliances.

The scene where England got off to a thumping start to their World Cup campaign with a 6-2 win over Iran.

Can Japan turn their fortunes around on the world's biggest stage? They've won only one of their last eight games at the World Cup - drawing three, losing four.

JAPAN: Gonda, Nagatomo, Itakura, Yoshida, Sakai, Tanaka, Endo, Kubo, Kamada, J.Ito, Maeda

Subs: Kawashima, Schmidt, Yamane, Taniguchi, Tomiyasu, H.Ito, Shibasaki, Mitoma, Morita, Soma, Doan, Minamino, Asano, Machino, Ueda

GERMANY: Neuer, Sule, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Raum, Kimmich, Gundogan, Gnabry, Muller, Musiala, Havertz

Subs: Trapp, ter Stergen, Ginter, Kehrer, Klostermann, Gunter, Bella-Kotchap, Goretzka, Gotze, Brandt, Fullkrug, Hofmann, Sane, Adeyemi, Moukoko

Welcome to Eurosport’s LIVE digital coverage of the World Cup clash between Germany and Japan as Group E gets underway. Germany will be looking for redemption after their last World Cup campaign in Brazil, where they exited at the group stages as reigning champions.

There’s less than an hour until kick-off with this one starting at 13:00 GMT.