Qualifying for a place in the next phase of the 2022 World Cup, Japan and Spain will face each other this Thursday, at 4 pm (Brasília time), for the third and final round of Group E. The game will be at the Khalifa International stadium, in Doha, in the Qatar.
Winning, the Japanese team passes the stage, regardless of the result of the match between Costa Rica and Germany. If they tie, Japan will need a draw in the other game. If the Asian team draws and the Germans win, the classification will be defined by the goal difference or the number of goals scored.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu has defenders Tomiyasu and Sakai, with muscle injuries, which should be absent. Midfielder Wataru Endo, absent from training, may also not play because of knee pain. Asano has a chance to start in attack, after standing out in recent games.
Spain needs at least a draw to reach the round of 16. If they win, the Spanish team guarantees first place in the group. If they lose, the Spaniards will need a draw between Costa Rica and Germany or a German victory that doesn’t remove the eight goal difference on balance.
Gavi and Rodri, with muscle problems, should start, according to the coach. Sergio Busquets, hanging, can stay on the bench. However, Luis Enrique has stated that he does not plan to retain players who have received a yellow card at the World Cup.
GUESS 1: FERRAN TORRES SCHEDULES OR GIVES ASSISTANCE
Striker Ferran Torres, shirt number 11 for Barcelona, made his debut at the 2022 World Cup, scoring twice in the match against Costa Rica and contributing with good plays to increase the scoreboard.
Despite an impressive debut, the 22-year-old was unable to demonstrate the same commitment against the Germans. In the classic he received few balls due to the firm marking of D. Raum, as well as the tight confrontation that was.
Luis Enrique is believed to retain the starting number 11 despite his underwhelming performance. The Japanese will have work to stop the Spaniard in this match, as he will try to redeem himself from a bad performance in the last game.
For this market, the odds are above 1.73 in the main bookmakers. This being a great guess for fans and bettors on duty to have positive results.
PREVENTION 2: SPAIN SCORES THE FIRST GOAL
The Spanish team did not take notice of the Costa Ricans in the first match and applied a 7-0 defeat, with the right to, more or less, a goal every 13 minutes played.
Against the Germans, the game was very balanced, staying at 0-0 during the entire first half and only scoring in the 62nd minute. This goal was scored first by the Spaniards, more precisely by Álvaro Morata.
Against the Japanese there is no doubt of the technical superiority of Spain, made up of skilled youngsters and with a well-structured team. Still, Japan defeated Germany 2-1 despite conceding the first goal.
The odds for this prediction are low because there is not a very high risk, as the Japanese defense conceded a goal from the Germans in 33 minutes. So, at bookmakers like F12.bet, the odds for this market are at 1.35.
GUESS 3: MORE THAN 3.5 GOALS IN THE MATCH
The Japanese will do everything to win this match and have comfort to advance to the round of 16 of the World Cup, since Germany is favorite against Costa Rica and can catch up with the Asians in the Group E table.
The fact that Japan went on the attack in search of an immediate result, opens up an opportunity for Spain to exploit the gaps left and score goals. Even more so with a team full of young talents from Europe.
The Spanish team also needs to confirm its place for the next phase, so don’t expect Luis Enrique’s tactics to be modest and without much offensiveness. On the contrary, they will try to beat the blue samurai with as many goals as possible to increase their balance in group E.
JAPAN VS SPAIN: MATCH HISTORY
Spain and Japan have never faced each other in World Cups, this being the first game between the teams in the World Cup. In addition, they entered the field four times, three victories for the Europeans and only one for the Asians.
Japan 0 v 1 Spain: 2020 Olympics
Japan 1 v 1 Spain: Friendly in 2021
Spain 0 x 1 Japan: 2012 Olympics
Spain 0-0 Japan: 1968 Olympic
