The German national team have lost their opening game at the World Cup. Two BVB players, Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck, were in the starting line-up for the 2-1 (0-1) defeat to Japan.

Süle assumed the right-back position in Germany's four-man defence, as he recently has done in a BVB shirt, while Schlotterbeck formed a central defensive partnership with Antonio Rüdiger.

Germany took the lead in the first half when former Dortmund man Ilkay Gündogan scored from the spot (33). But Japan turned the game on its head with a two-goal salvo in the final quarter-hour (76/83). The introduction of Youssoufa Moukoko in the closing stages could not prevent the DFB XI from slipping to defeat in their opener. Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi were unused substitutes.

Thomas Meunier and Thorgan Hazard will kick off their campaign on Wednesday evening. Dortmund's Belgian duo will face Canada at 20:00 CET.