19:51
With the Belgians’ golden generation knocked out of the tournament this afternoon, it’s now clear who the teams that progress through this group will meet. First-placed will meet Croatia in the Round of 16, after a draw was enough to secure second place in Group F. A small surprise opponent will be Morocco, who were able to take the lead in this strong group and thus meet the second in this group. It may seem like an easier task for many, but Morocco are proving to be difficult opponents in this tournament.
19:38
On the other hand, the Japanese are fighting in the run-up to this group final. “I think we’re going to do our best. We have to prepare as best as we can,” head coach Hajime Moriyasu promised his team before the game. If they were successful, the Japanese would certainly be one round further. “That’s our goal,” said Japan’s keeper Shuichi Gonda. So the Japanese will take a similar approach to the first group game against the German national team and will demand a lot from the Spaniards.
19:24
Despite the many changes in the starting line-up, the German national team can rely on the fighting spirit of La Furia Roja. They want to “play to win” against Japan tonight, assured head coach Luis Enrique. Daniel Olmo (RB Leipzig) also does not want to get involved in possible speculation and wants to secure progress to the next round on his own. “With a win we’ll be in the round of 16 and that’s the goal.”
19:16
The Spaniards had promised support in the run-up to the game, but they also changed their starting XI to five positions compared to the Germany game. The three-man midfield around Gavi, Pedri and Busquets remains. Nevertheless, Balde, Pau Torres and Azpilicueta start today in defense for Alba, Laporte and Dani Carvajal. In attack, Dani Olmo stays on the left wing. Nico Williams takes over for Ferrán Torres on the right and Álvaro Morata replaces Marco Asensio in the center of the attack.
19:13
First, let’s look at the line-ups of both teams. The Japanese have switched to five positions compared to the botched duel with Costa Rica. Yamane, Endo, Dōan, Soma and Ueda initially stay outside. Instead, Taniguchi, Tanaka, Ito, Kubo and Maeda are new to the field. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu brings the same offensive as against Germany from the start.
19:00
The constellation in Group E is tricky. A win against Costa Rica is a must for the German national team to advance. Should the Spaniards prevail in this game, they would be in first place and Germany in second. If Japan wins, it might not be enough for Spain. For this, however, the German national team would have to catch up on the eight-goal difference with Spain. Should that game end in a draw, Japan and Spain would be through if Germany beat Costa Rica by less than two goals. The South Americans would also have a realistic chance of progressing in the event of a draw or even a defeat by the Spaniards if they scored three points against the Germans at the same time. It is therefore a tight thing in this group and theoretically almost everything is still possible.
18:56
Hello and welcome to the decider in Group E. Today between Japan and Spain it is still a matter of progress for both teams. At the same time, Germany against Costa Rica is also about getting into the knockout phase for both teams. The ball starts rolling at 8:00 p.m. The live ticker for this game starts right before kick-off.