Germany v Saudi Arabia. Today, Sapporo, 12.30; Network 2:Emmet Malone looks at the meeting of Ireland's two other Group Eopponents.
Saudi Arabia may well be the group's outsiders, but the burden of expectation is hardly a major problem for Rudi Voller's Germany either.
Though failure to qualify for the second round would certainly be viewed as a disappointment back home, the fact that the three-time champions have brought less than 500 supporters to Japan provides a pretty clear picture of how far it is reckoned they will progress after that.
Voller's problems have been mounting for several months now and, having already been without Jens Novotny, Sebastian Deisler, Christian Worns, Mehmet Scholl and Jorg Heinrich when he travelled here just over a week ago, the German manager was this week forced to add Marko Rehmer to his injured list.
The experienced Hertha Berlin defender limped out of Tuesday's training session with an ankle problem and Voller has said that he will bring Christoph Metzelder in for his seventh international cap in place of the 30-year-old.
A new-look defence - Metzelder will start a competitive match alongside Carsten Ramelow and Thomas Linke for the first time - is hardly what the Germans will have been hoping for and Voller admits that, with so many difficulties to cope with just now, "we really don't know where we stand".
He has, however, had some good news, with Michael Ballack declaring himself fit enough to play in midfield, where the loss of Scholl and Deisler had already left him short on creativity. "It's getting better and I assume I will play," said Ballack of a foot injury that has been causing him pain for some time now. "If it hurts I can take pills and I'll be fine."
Strikers Miroslav Klose (thigh) and Oliver Bierhoff (groin) have also been carrying slight knocks through this week's preparations, but both are expected to be fine by kick-off.
Klose, with eight goals in his 12 international appearances, looks certain to start alongside Oliver Neuville, who seems likely to play in the opening couple of group games despite his remarkably tame scoring record (just three goals in 30 games) for his country.
Having seen his players almost universally written off in what has been generally regarded as a three-horse race, meanwhile, Saudi coach Nasser Al-Johar predicted this week that they are capable, not only of upsetting one of the group's bigger names, but of actually making it through to the last 16.
Like the Germans, the Saudis have injury problems with their big and powerful striker Talal Al-Meshal ruled out by a knee injury - he claimed this week the problem was deliberately compounded by German physios giving him poor medical advice - while Abdullah Bin Sheehan, a highly-rated potential replacement, was also omitted from the squad despite believing that he could have been fit in time to play. In their absence Sami Al-Jaber is expected to play in a more advanced role.
If the Saudis really do have a shock in them then it would be nice if they'd get it out of their system this afternoon.
PROBABLE TEAMS
GERMANY: Kahn; Metzelder, Ramelow, Linke; Frings, Hamann, Schneider, Ballack, Ziege; Klose, Neuville.
SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Daeyea; Sulimani, Sulaiman, Dokhi; Al-Shloub, Noor, Al-Temyat, Al-Ghamdi; Jumaan, Al-Jaber, Al-Dossary.
Referee: U Aquino (Paraguay).
