Japan and Croatia go head to head in the World Cup round of 16 this afternoon.
Both Spain and Germany have been beaten so far in what is surely Japan’s greatest World Cup campaign to date and, frankly, the Samarai Blue will have little to fear from here. Seemingly over their 2018 heartbreak at the hands of Belgium, it would be foolish to write them off.
Croatia, meanwhile, are seasoned veterans at this level. While the team has moved on from their journey to the 2018 final, Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic remain key players and little will phase them in the knockouts.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Japan vs Croatia is scheduled for a 3pm GMT kick-off on Monday December 5, 2022.
The Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar will host the match.
Where to watch Japan vs Croatia
TV channel: In the UK, the match will be televised free-to-air and live on BBC One, with coverage beginning at 2.30pm.
Live stream: Fans can also catch the game live online via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
LIVE coverage: Follow all of the action with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog.
Japan vs Croatia confirmed team news
Japan XI: Gonda; Taniguchi, Tomiyasu, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Morita, Endo; Ito, Kamada, Doan; Maeda.
Croatia XI: Livakovic; Juranovic, Gvardiol, Lovren, Barisic; Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric; Kramaric, Petkovic, Perisic.
Japan vs Croatia prediction
It’s difficult to look past Japan, such has been their ability to rise to the challenge at this World Cup.
Japan to win 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Japan wins: 1
Draws: 1
Croatia wins: 1
Japan vs Croatia latest odds
Japan to qualify: 13/8
Draw: 23/10
Croatia to qualify: 40/85
