Spain will hope to conquer Group E when they take on Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday.
Spain will try to wear their scoring boots when they encounter Japan in their final group-stage match of the FIFA World Cup 2022. A draw will be enough for the La Roja to advance to the Round of 16, but they will try to finish the group stage on a winning note.
Japan sprung a major surprise by getting the better of Germany in their first match. And they were expected to beat the bush in their next clash against Costa Rica. But a defeat at the hands of Los Ticos hit them hard, and they cannot afford to lose another game as it will end their hopes of sealing a Round of 16 berth.
The Asian giants do have the resources to pile an unlikely defeat on Spain. But a draw would also be enough should Costa Rica fail to win their game against Germany or the latter refrain from scoring two or more goals against their opponent.
Spain have already shown what they can offer to the table with their excellent show against Costa Rica and Germany. They were unlucky to share the spoils with Die Mannschaft in the last game, but Luis Enrique will make sure there is no black spot in their World Cup campaign.
The absence of experienced campaigners could be a major concern for them in the long run. But so far, there has not been any kind of loopholes as they looked pretty determined to make their presence felt this time. The 1-1- draw between Spain and Germany opened a lot of dimensions in the group, and it seems the Spanish will only have to blame themselves if they fail to top the group.
Team News & Tactics
Japan
Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and Urawa Red Diamonds star Hiroki Sakai are sweating with their hamstring issues. So, Hajime Moriyasu might have to field a starting lineup without them.
Wataru Endo could also miss out and so, a number of changes could be expected in the Japan starting lineup. Shuichi Gonda could be protected by a back four of Miki Yamane, Maya Yoshida, Ko Itakura and Yuto Nagatomo.
Ao Tanaka and Hidemasa Morita will be in charge of the midfield, while Daichi Kamada will use all his expertise to feed some balls to the attackers in front of him. Takuma Asano and Yuki Soma should get the nod on the flanks, while Ayase Ueda should start as the sole striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gonda; Yamane, Itakura, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Tanaka, Morita; Soma, Kamada, Asano; Ueda
Spain
Gavi will unlikely to start the game due to an injury, while Sergio Busquets could be rested by Luis Enrique. Unai Simon will be the undoubted choice between the sticks. Pau Torres will likely partner Aymeric Laporte in the heart of the backline, and Dani Carvajal and Jordi Alba will be hovering as the full-backs.
🧘🏻♂️ Concentración, esfuerzo y trabajo.
📸 Retratos para terminar el día en Doha y a descansar prontito, que mañana ya es previa de partido y hay que estar 𝘼 𝙏𝙊𝙋𝙀.
😴 ¡¡Buenas noches a todos!!#VamosEspaña | #Catar2022 pic.twitter.com/lykDCGmJmg
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) November 29, 2022
Koke will join Rodri and Pedri in the central midfield, with Enrique preserving Gavi and Busquets for the next round. Alvaro Morata should find his name on the team sheet, and he will be joined by Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres on the wings.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Simon; Carvajal, Pau Torres, Laporte, Alba; Koke, Rodri, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Morata, Olmo
Key Stats
- This will be Spain and Japan’s second meeting with each other, with Spain ending up as the winner in the first game.
- Spain are on a five-match unbeaten run against Asian opponents in the World Cup.
- Spain have won their final group game in eight of their last nine participations in the FIFA World Cup, with the exception being a 2-2 draw with Morocco last time out in 2018.
- Japan have lost three of their last four World Cup matches (W1), as many as in their previous nine games at the tournament (W3 D3), while they are looking to avoid failing to score in consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1998 (vs Argentina and Croatia).
- Alvaro Morata has scored in both of his appearances for Spain at the 2022 World Cup, with both goals coming as a substitute. Only one player has ever scored in his first three World Cup appearances for Spain, with Telmo Zarra doing so in 1950.
Player to Watch
Alvaro Morata
Two goals in two substitute appearances should boost the morale for Alvaro Morata. The 30-year-old has been going through a rough patch and could use some useful World Cup minutes to be back in the limelight again. And another top showing against Japan will set Morata up for a memorable World Cup campaign.
Prediction
Japan 1-1 Spain
If Japan could manage to beat Germany from a goal down, one can surely place a bet on them against Spain. The Blue Samurai have done reasonably well on this stage and should get the job done for their second consecutive place in the Round of 16. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between Japan and Spain.
