Japan pulled off an unbelievable victory against Germany on Friday, beating them 2-1 in their first Group E match. Experts predict they’ll be able to take all three points from their Sunday matchup with Costa Rica.
The Blue Samurai lost their match against Central America 1-0, as Keysher Fuller scored the decisive goal nine minutes from time. Group E is still up for grabs, as three rounds of fixtures are yet to be played.
If Germany loses to Costa Rica or if the latter lose by two goals or less, they might still advance with a draw, but a loss to La Roja will eliminate them from the competition. The odds at some of the best FIFA betting sites probably will have drastic highs and lows depending on the final result of Germany and Costa Rica.
It remains to be seen whether ranked 24th Japan can repeat the result of Thursday’s match; however, Moriyasu will be eager to do so regardless. His team was able to replicate their results from the first day but not their last, so he’ll be hoping for the same this time.
Spain had never played against Japan before in a competitive fixture because the two of them only played against each other back in April 2001, when Spain beat the Japanese squad 1-0. Spain and Japan will play each other on Thursday in the hopes of moving on to the knockout stages of the World Cup. Japan vs. Spain match will start at 7:00 p.m. GMT on December 1st, 2020.
To advance in the competition, Japan needs to win and hope that both Germany and Costa Rica draw. A draw would also be enough if they lose, while La Roja must simply not lose. So, everything is set up for it to be an engaging game that will definitely get everyone’s attention.
After coming off the bench twice and scoring both times, Alvaro Morata should start for Spain in their next game. Marco Asensio would likely be the one who needs to sit this one out. If Cesar Azpilicueta can’t play at right back, Luis Enrique will start to look for a replacement.
Against Costa Rica, Japan might find it difficult to make changes. To replace Yuki Soma, they will probably bring in Junya Ito, who excelled after coming off the bench. Takuma Asano made an excellent first impression when he entered the field. Ayase Ueda failed to win the previous match. This might be his moment to demonstrate his abilities.
