Player ratings as late Asano winner seals World Cup shock

In an electric opening game in Group E at the 2022 World Cup, Japan came back from a goal down to earn a first-ever – and well-deserved – victory over a complacent Germany.

Japan started the brighter of the two teams, full of energy, heart and eager to swarm around any German player on the ball. They even had the ball in the net early, with Ilkay Gundogan getting robbed of possession near halfway and Junya Ito crossing for Daizen Maeda to steer in.

The Celtic forward, however, had badly mistimed his run when he had no need to, leading to the goal to be disallowed. After the first 15 minutes, Japan’s pressing started to wane and a nervous Germany team began to grow into the game and dictate proceedings – largely playing into and through the dazzling feet of 19-year-old Jamal Musiala.

Hansi Flick’s side took the lead just after half an hour, with the dangerous wing-back David Raum galloping free into the Japan penalty area to collect a perfectly-weighted lofted ball from Joshua Kimmich. Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda was clumsy off his line to challenge not once but twice, which was enough for referee Ivan Barton to point to the spot and VAR to uphold the decision.

Manchester City’s Gundogan, who had an otherwise chaotic first, showed enough calm to slot the penalty down the middle. It could have been more had Gundogan not selfishly chosen to shoot instead of playing Raum in earlier in the game, or if Kai Havertz – who struggled to lead the German line with any kind of authority – not checked himself back onside to tap into an empty net.

Niklas Sule had shown surprisingly nimble feet after lurching forward from right-back, finding Thomas Muller out wide on the German right. He badly misjudged the cross but after Japan fluffed the clearance, Serge Gnabry found himself free to square the ball across the box for the over-eager Havertz.

After a lengthy, and wholly unnecessary, VAR check, Japan went up the other end and nearly snatched an equaliser. Nagatomo had space and whipped in a dangerous cross only for the woeful Maeda to head wide.

At half-time, Arsenal’s versatile defender Takehiro Tomiyasu entered the fray in an attempt to quell the constant danger of Raum’s overlapping runs. Takefusa Kubo was the man to make way as Hajime Moriyasu shifted to a back five with wing-backs. The change appeared to have little initial effect as Gnabry crashed a shot off the woodwork from a narrow angle within two minutes of the restart.

Soon after, Musiala danced his way…