Japan defeated Germany 2-1 in their World Cup opening on Wednesday.
2nd half goals from Takuma Asano and Ritsu Doan led Japan to a commanding victory in the Group E opening.
Doan scored from close range in the 75th minute, after Asano produced a magical moment to place his side ahead. He defended Nico Schlotterbeck before netting from a tight angle after controlling a long pass.
Asano and Doan both play their trade in Germany's Bundesliga, with Asano at Bochum and Doan at Freiburg.
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| Image: Alamy |
Ilkay Gundogan, a Manchester City star had given his team the ahead in the 33rd minute after converting a penalty into score.
It happens just a day after Saudi Arabia stunned Argentina's Lionel Messi.
They defeated a World Cup favorite 2-1 and, like Japan, came from behind to clinch their Group C match.
Germany, who fell out of the World Cup 2018 in the group phase, has an uphill task to qualify for the knockout rounds after suffering a stunning setback in their first encounter.
"I felt we played well over long spells," Thomas Muller remarked after the game, "but in football, you have to turn supremacy into goals."
However, when you look at how we conceded goals, you can conclude it wasn't an undeserved loss.
He continued: We have to deal with this right now. It is never simple to accept defeat. But we must stay objective; the setback is simple to understand in football terms, but harder to accept emotionally. You will not win anything if you are not competent at football.
Germany returns to play on Sunday against Spain before facing Costa Rica the following Thursday.
Meanwhile, Japan will start their Qatar tour against Costa Rica on Sunday.
Featured Image Credit: ITV/Alamy