Four-time world champions Germany will be hoping to make a vast improvement from their previous World Cup. Finishing bottom in a group that contained Sweden, Mexico and South Korea, many called for the resignation of Joachim Low back in 2018 but the DFB persisted which ultimately led to a poor Euro 2020.

In their way is a Japanese side who enter the tournament with low expectations, which could ultimately work in their favour.

Appointed as Low’s successor last year, Flick’s tenure would start with seven successive wins as Die Mannschaft secured their place at the 2022 World Cup. Scoring 31 goals and conceding two in seven games, it felt like a new chapter.

Wednesday sees the start of that next chapter when they play Japan in the opening game of Group E. Alongside Spain and Costa Rica, this feels like a must win game for Flick. One, it’s difficult seeing them beat Spain and they realistically need six points to advance and two, they will want to make a statement in their opening game – they’ve won three of their last four opening World Cup games.

Against a Japan squad that contains Ko Itakura, Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Ito, Wataru Endo, Ritsu Doan, Takuma Asano and Daichi Kamada, Germany will come up against some familiar faces with the aforementioned all plying their trade in the Bundesliga.

Japan will likely adjust their usual 4-2-3-1 (more a 4-2-4-0 with three attacking midfielders and a nominal striker rotating) to a more central midfield-emphasising 4-3-3, giving them more bite in midfield. If all three are available Ao Tanaka and Wataru Endo – both playing in Germany – will line up alongside Hidemasa Morita to attempt to restrict German advances through the middle.

Up front, or at least in the attacking midfield is where Japan has so much talent, but these players must convert chances, which will be few and far between, surely, against the might of Germany.

Flick had toyed with a 3-4-3 but is likely to stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1. The defence largely picks itself but it’s in attack where Germany have had problems. Timo Werner, Marco Reus and Lukas Nmecha, all of whom would have been selected in the 26-man squad, picked up injuries and will miss the tournament. With the expanded squads from 23 to 26, there was always going to be a place for Niclas Füllkrug, the highest-scoring German in Europe this season with 10 Bundesliga goals.

Germany’s key to winning this game is getting the attacking trio of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala, who will likely start behind Kai Havertz, on the ball. Domestically, the trio behind Havertz are in excellent form and if they transfer that to the national team, Germany can be dangerous, and should kick start their tournament with three points.