44
20:45
Yellow card for Shogo Taniguchi (Japan)
42
20:43
Spain plays an attack very patiently. The ball wanders around the sixteen over many stations. Suddenly Olmo makes himself felt and is ready for a one-two. Pedri serves the left wing in the sixteen and Olmo immediately tries to finish. But Yoshida throws himself into his shot from 15 meters and prevents worse.
39
20:39
Yellow card for Ko Itakura (Japan)
The central defender puts on a lot of pressure and goes into a duel with Pedri. Itakura arrives too late and hits the Spaniard in the ankle. The first yellow card is right for that.
37
20:38
In the last few minutes, the Samurai Blue become much braver. The semi-successful attempt to press against Unai Simón seems to have inspired the Japanese. They appear a little more powerful and can hold the ball a little longer. Nevertheless, the Spaniards are still able to keep this pressure away from their own box.
34
20:36
Unai Simón creates a little excitement. All the Japanese consistently go for it and Pau Torres puts his goalkeeper under pressure. The keeper has often shown insecurities and turns away from Maeda at the last moment. He hits the ball to the right side at the last moment and resolves the situation.
31
20:32
In this half hour, the Spaniards have almost 80 percent of the ball possession! The Japanese still rarely get into ball possession phases and usually have no solution ready even when they win the ball. So far it’s a safe bet for the Spaniards.
29
20:30
Olmo grabs the ball on the left and moves to the middle. He actually has several options and tries to send Álvaro Morata through the alley. However, the Leipzig midfielder is a bit inaccurate and his pass is too deep and therefore out of reach for the scorer.
26
20:27
There is a little more momentum in the game. Spain finds more gaps in the Japanese defense and the Samurai Blue are also better at switching. Nevertheless, Japan has been waiting for another conclusion since Ito’s shot.
23
20:24
Now the Spaniards are doing it quickly. Gavi is sent behind the chain and finds himself in a one-on-one fight with Yoshida. The goal scorer runs in the middle and Gavi tunnels the ball to the other player. Álvaro Morata does not hesitate and shoots from a central position of 15 meters. But his finish is too central and no problem for Gonda.
22
20:23
So far, the game has not offered much space, which makes it look very static. Spain controls possession but can’t find another gap. After the opening goal there was no further scene in the goal area.
19
20:20
The Japanese seem a bit perplexed at this stage. Individual players keep attacking, but Spain can get out of any situation.
17
20:18
The Furia Roja now play it very patiently and hardly allow the opponent to have possession of the ball. As soon as the Japanese have the ball, the player with the ball is immediately attacked and the ball is forced to be lost. It’s been very difficult for the Samurai Blue so far.
15
20:15
This is the shock for the Japanese. Now they are bound to score here and open up sooner or later. Of course, that plays into the hands of the Spaniards.
11.
20:11
Tooor for Spain, 0-1 by Álvaro Morata
The Japanese are too inattentive! After another Nico Williams cross was cleared at the near post, Azpilicueta intercepted the ball on the right edge of the box. He has far too much time to cross and brings the cross perfectly into the six-yard box. In the center Álvaro Morata is left alone and spirals up. From five meters he has no problem accommodating the header in the box and gives the Spaniards the lead. As of now, the Germans would be in the KO phase!
11.
20:11
Now the Spaniards are taking control again and letting the ball run calmly through their own ranks. So far they haven’t found the right gap.
8th.
20:10
Ito fails on the outside netting! Busquets unnecessarily plays a catastrophic pass from his own sixteen into Kamada’s feet. He proves his overview and serves Ito on the right in the penalty area. The Japanese can control the ball well and shoots from seven meters. His shot is dangerous and goes straight to the right side netting. The Spaniards have to be careful because Japan is showing a lot of courage in this initial phase.
7.
20:08
Things are getting hot in the sixteen of the Samurai Blue! Nico Williams is served on the right side, who can assert himself with his fast-paced dribbling. From the baseline he brings a low cross into the middle. Morata tries the hoe, but the finish is blocked. The subsequent shot from the second row goes well over the box.
5.
20:06
The Japanese put pressure on for the first time and conquer the ball in the center. The long ball is immediately sought in the top, but Rodri is careful. But Maeda stayed tuned and lynched the ball off the central defender’s foot. He takes Ito with him on the right, but the Japanese get stuck on the sixteen.
3.
20:03
The Spaniards let the ball run through their own ranks in the usual style in the early stages and look for the gap. Japan has to concentrate on defending at the beginning.
1.
20:01
The ball rolls! The Furia Roja toasts and heralds these group finals. The Samurai Blue run after them at first.
19:56
Led by the South African referee Victor Gomes, the protagonists enter the field. The national anthems sound and it’s about to start! It’s all at stake in Group E today. Of course we are looking forward to a gripping 90 minutes!
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 Central 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.