Japan vs. Spain - Betting tips, predictions, and odds
Japan and Spain will fight for 1st place in Group E at the FIFA World Cup when they meet at Khalifa International Stadium in Round 3. Feel free to read the best Japan vs. Spain betting tips and predictions.
H2H, form, and stats
Japan and Spain have faced just once so far, and it was a friendly match back in 2001 which Spain won 1-0.
After a sensational 2-1 win against Germany in the opening round of this World Cup, the Japanese had a chance to book their place in the Round of 16 with three points against Costa Rica.
However, despite the dominance and better display, they conceded a late goal and lost 1-0, so now they must not lose to Spain in order to keep their knockout stage hopes alive. Japan had 14 shots opposite Costa Rica’s four, but one bad judgment by goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda cost them greatly. It was Japan’s third defeat in ten matches (W5, D2).
Spain recorded its biggest World Cup win with a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica in Round 1, but they nearly lost the following game against Germany. After an uninteresting first half, in which the only highlight was Antonio Rudiger’s disallowed goal, La Furia Roja got to a 1-0 lead through the substitute Alvaro Morata in the 62nd minute.
Still, the Germans responded late when Niclas Fullkrug bagged an equalizer to set the final score, 1-1. The Spaniards are in a good position after two rounds; they need a point to advance to the Round of 16, while a victory would guarantee them a top spot in the group. Luis Enrique’s men lost just one out of the previous 13 matches (W9, D3).
Injuries and squad news
Japan’s head coach Hajime Moriyasu doesn't have any injury-related problems, but it seems that he didn't use his strongest XI against Costa Rica. Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino, and Takuma Asano must get a starting nod if the Japanese want to stay competitive against stronger Spain. The Samurai Blue will probably go with a 4-2-3-1 formation, but who will start up front remains to be seen.
Luis Enrique prefers to start with a false nine, but Alvaro Morata proved that he deserves to play in the attack in that classic No. 9 role. Ferran Torres and Marco Asensio didn't play well against Germany, so the head coach may drop one of them and start Morata. Morata is the only classic CF in this Spain squad, and he already recorded two goals and an assist at this World Cup, so we will be surprised if he doesn't play from the first minute against Japan.
Betting predictions and odds
Spain is a firm favorite in this encounter, and the bookies are giving 1.40 odds on La Furia Roja. Japan already made an upset in this tournament by beating the four-time World Cup champions Germany, so we suggest you be cautious with this one. The Samurai Blue can be backed at 8.30 if you are chasing surprises, while a draw is at 4.60. When it comes to goals, Over 2.5 goals is 1.72 and Under 2.5 goals is at 2.12.
Our best tip for Japan vs. Spain game
Japan was unlucky not to score against Costa Rica, but we already saw that they have a very capable team and it looks that Samurai Blue can score against any opponent. With high stakes in this game, we think that the underdogs can cause a threat to Spain, but only if the head coach Hajime Moriyasu put all pieces to the puzzle together and field an adequate starting eleven.
He had luck with changes he made against Germany as they paid off, so that could be the case on Thursday as well. Of course, we don’t doubt Spain’s attacking prowess and we’re pretty sure they will find the back of the net at least once here.
Japan vs. Spain: Where to watch? Date, hour, and TV schedule
- FIFA World Cup
- Venue: Khalifa International Stadium (Doha)
- Thursday, December 1, 2022
- 8 PM CET
To check the full TV schedule visit https://www.protipster.com/football-live-stream.
