- World Cup updates from the 1pm GMT kick-off
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4 min: Japan go long again, Maeda hassling Rudiger as the pair chase the ball down the right wing. Rudiger gets the better of the Japan striker this time, but this could become an interesting battle. Maeda briefly threatened to get past the defender there.
2 min: Tanaka takes his turn to launch it long, forcing Neuer to come out of his box to head clear. Germany counter, Gnabry dribbling with purpose down the inside-left channel. He can’t bust through Japan’s blue line. Meanwhile here’s Francis Lee reporting from Berlin: “The German TV interviewer has done her level best to give Hansi Flick a thorough pumping in the pre-match on-pitch debriefing zone etc., but all she could squeeze out of him was that Havertz will be playing striker, with Müller the no. 10.”
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