Jurgen Klinsmann, who won the World Cup in 1990 with West Germany, says Germany's clash with Japan today "will not be that easy".
He says he would take Germany becoming favourites "in a heartbeat" after Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia, but believes that Messi's team "will pull itself together and come back".
Klinsmann managed his country to third place in the competition in 2006 and he's now part of the BBC team in Qatar.
"That is what football is all about - surprises, things you cannot predict," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"Once we finish the group stage the eventual big shots will be in there, including Germany."
He says the side "are full of talent", adding that it was their "attitude" which led to them being knocked out at the group stage in the 2018 World Cup.
"I really hope this time they don't have any issues on the emotional side of things and they get down to business," he says, adding that this will not be easy against Japan who showed last time in the group stage that they were "serious contenders".
