Tournament | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
Timetable | 1st December 2022 19:00 GMT |
Prediction | Japan to win |
Odds | 1.30 (Bet £100 and win £130 if Japan win) |
Bookmaker | betway |
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We are now in the final throws of the group stages and the proclaimed Group of Death is now down to its third and final games. Japan v Spain will hold significant importance. No Group of Death contest ever ends early, and we might see this going down to the wire. We look at the two teams and see their history and qualifiers can help your World Cup predictions. We also discuss some of the players that may make the difference and present you with popular betting markets and highly competitive odds to put your money on. Let’s see if our World Cup 2022 predictions can help make that happen.
🏠 Japan Preview
Do not be fooled into thinking that Spain are an all-powerful presence in the competition. The beast from the East will look to prove you wrong. The Japan football team will be a tough opponent, and this is why this Group of Death will hold no prisoners. The Japanese team are the dark horse of this group and with Costa Rica in poor form this year, a win over Spain will most likely seal a place in the last 16. They have the talent to do it and while being outsiders, this game could be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of high odds.
🏆 Competition History
Every World Cup predictor will put Japan as outsiders which might be down to their tournament history, but they are not a terrible team. In the 2002 tournament, they finished a respectable 9th place. This was a blooming period for Asian football, with many players featuring in high European leagues and the premiership. For the last competition, they made it into the Round of 16 and they have the potential to match this feat, but the Group of Death might not go to plan for any of the four teams in Group E.
✔️ Qualification and Road to the Competition 2022
For Japan to get a place in the Qatar World Cup, they had to compete in two qualifying rounds. In the first of these 8 games were played and Japan sealed a top spot with 8 out of 8 wins. For the second round, 10 games were played against harder opponents and after 10 games, they finished 2nd in the table to qualify.
Date | Match | Final Score |
---|---|---|
02/09/2021 | Japan vs Oman | 0-1 |
07/09/2021 | China vs Japan | 0-1 |
07/10/2021 | Saudi Arabia vs Japan | 1-0 |
12/10/2021 | Japan vs Australia | 2-1 |
11/11/2021 | Vietnam vs Japan | 0-1 |
16/11/2021 | Oman vs Japan | 0-1 |
27/01/2022 | Japan vs China | 2-0 |
01/02/2022 | Japan vs Saudi Arabia | 2-0 |
24/03/2022 | Australia vs Japan | 0-2 |
29/03/2022 | Japan vs Vietnam | 1-1 |
⭐ Japan Players to Watch
Japan has perhaps their strongest team in almost two decades. Here are three of the star players that we think might be able to sink Spain and help them to collect the points needed to get out of the group.
- Takumi Minamino: 42 caps, 17 goals, and 8 assists. Minamino is perhaps their best player and is still highly underrated.
Possess a great first touch, can dribble, and knows where the goal is. Very dangerous. Position: Right Wing/Striker.
- Junya Ito: 36 caps, 9 goals, and 9 assists Great impact player, and very quick on the ball and in overturning play to put pressure on defensive lines. Position: Right Wing.
- Yuya Osako: 57 caps, 25 goals, and 8 assists. A goal machine that will be highly influential to any success that comes Japan’s way. Position: Centre Forward.
☍ Spain Preview
Currently, the Spaniards are 6th in the FIFA World Rankings. They are also 5th favourites to win the competition. But does their reputation precede them? When the draw was made for Group E, it would not have been a welcomed sight to see the other three teams. Problems could lie ahead and history suggests that it might not be smooth sailing getting out of this group stage.
🏆 Competition History
When it comes to the World Cup, in recent competitions, the Spanish side hasn’t done so well. In 2010, they did win the competition but were then struck with the champion’s curse in the follow-up as in the 2014 competition, they didn’t make it out of the group phase. In the last World Cup, they finished 10th place having made it to the Round of 16. Spain are far from being a competent team and Japan won’t be schooled in this fixture, which makes it extra special.
✔️ Qualification and Road to the Competition 2022
Like many major European teams, they will always play far weaker opponents, so we wouldn’t pay much attention to their form based on their qualifiers. Here’s how Spain made it to Qatar.
Date | Match | Final Score |
---|---|---|
25/03/2021 | Spain vs Greece | 1-1 |
28/03/2021 | Georgia vs Spain | 1-2 |
31/03/2021 | Spain vs Kosovo | 3-1 |
02/09/2021 | Sweden vs Spain | 2-1 |
05/09/2021 | Spain vs Georgia | 4-0 |
08/09/2021 | Kosovo vs Spain | 2-0 |
11/11/2021 | Greece vs Spain | 0-1 |
14/11/2021 | Spain vs Sweden | 1-0 |
⭐ Spain Players to Watch
Spain has long produced many great players, but are there any in this squad that will help put this game to bed? Here are the three players that we think will need to perform perfectly against Japan to be sure of winning.
- Sergio Busquets: 136 caps, 2 goals, 9 assists, and 24 bookings. The last World Cup for Busquets. Will have the experience advantage and will be a leader in the defensive line for the Spanish. Position: Defensive-Midfield.
- Marcos Llorente: 16 caps and 3 assists. New to the squad and will help in generating forward attacking play Position: Midfield.
- Jordi Alba: 85 caps, 9 goals, 19 assists, and 8 bookings. Jordi will look to play the wide play and make pivot moves as Span play a high press. Should have a very good game tactically. Position: Attacking-Midfield.
💯 Japan vs Spain Betting Odds
Online, you can access hundreds of markets that the high street bookmakers are unable to offer. Every potential action can be bet on and here we look at the three most popular betting options that could help you to win real money. Here are the best Japan vs Spain odds and the top UK bookies you can get them from.
⚡ Match Winner
Selecting a match winner or draw is the most popular betting option. These are commonly used by a bettor who likes to form accumulator (Acca) bets. These are the best WDW market odds you can get online.
Market | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan to Win | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Spain to Win | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Draw | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
🔥 Both Teams to Score
An alternative to correct score markets is to predict if both teams will score or not. It’s a good alternative to just picking a general winner or draw.
Market | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
No | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
🥅 Over/Under 2.5 Goals
Another goal betting market is to predict whether there will be 2 goals or less, or more than 2 goals. If you think this game carries goals in it, then select over 2.5. If it’s going to be too close to call or a stalemate game, then pick under 2.5 goals.
Market | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Over 2.5 Goals | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Under 2.5 Goals | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
🥇 Who Will Win? Japan vs Spain Prediction
The Spanish team may possess all the stars, but they are a team that rarely performs well on the World Cup stage. This could be a perfect opportunity for Japan to cause a real cup upset, a.k.a a giant-killing. Football is a funny old game and that is why our choice goes against those that will just say Spain lazily. This will be a tight game, but something just doesn’t sit right with this Spanish team.
Our match prediction: Japan to win.
🔍 Our Japan vs Spain Betting Tips?
You can find many alternative bets to place on this game. If you want try these betting tips:
Result, Both Teams to Score: Japan, and Yes Both Teams to Score. High odds for this one.
Correct Score: Japan 1-0
Player to Score: Minamino
🎁 Find Competition Free Bets
Join any of the best sportsbook services in the UK and place your first World Cup bets with the aid of their special offers.
Sportsbook | Offer |
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