Mueez Ajao
– Germany must learn from past mistakes and start the 2022 World Cup strongly, says midfielder Joshua Kimmich.
– They go to Qatar seeking a first major tournament triumph since 2014 and having lost their opening match at both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.
– Germany’s first Group E game is against Japan on 23 November in Al Rayyan.
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– “If you lose the first game in a big tournament there is a lot of pressure,” Kimmich said in an interview with Guillem Balague on BBC Radio 5 Live.
– Bayern Munich’s Kimmich, 27, is appearing at his second World Cup after being part of the Germany side that finished bottom of their group in Russia four years ago following defeat by Mexico in the opening match in Moscow.
– “Of course we want to do it better now,” added Kimmich.
– “We learned a lot, that it is not just important to have big, great players, who had a lot of success in the past and won a lot of trophies.
– “It’s about having a good team, a good character and a good team spirit. You have to be the best team. You don’t need the best players to have the best team.”
– Four-time world champions Germany are 11th in Fifa’s world rankings.
– After facing Japan, Hansi Flick’s side meet Spain on 27 November (19:00 GMT) in Al Khor before their final group game against Costa Rica on 1 December (19:00), also in Al Khor.
– “Of course I’m looking forward to the Spain game,” said Kimmich. “It’s a game on the highest level and you always want to compete on the highest level. I think we have to focus on the first game against Japan.”
– Germany’s last World Cup triumph was in 2014 when they defeated Argentina in the final after hammering hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi-final.
