Josip Juranovic knows all about the threat Japan will pose his Croatia side - especially Celtic teammate Daizen Maeda.
The two Parkhead pals are set for a big World Cup showdown in the knockout stage as the Croatians take on surprise package Japan, who qualified out of a group including big hitters Spain and Germany. And the two Hoops men know each other all too well after forging a partnership down the channels at Celtic Park under Ange Postecoglou.
The defender and the winger are the only two remaining Celtic players involved in the winter tournament, with Postecoglou set to benefit by a cash injection from their participation. But Juranovic is focusing on the football, amid questions over his future in Glasgow after reported contract talks 'stalled' and the Hoops said to be prepared to accept bids for the 27-year-old.
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He said: "We play together at Celtic. I can't wait to see him on the field to congratulate him. Tomorrow we have an analysis, so the coach will tell us about all the Japanese players. Maeda is a team player, he will give his best no matter how long he plays. He is fast, aggressive, runs into space.
"We will see in the analysis. We have to focus on ourselves and see what we did wrong against Belgium and correct it and try to win. It is not important to stop only him, but the whole team. We have to be aggressive. Japan is quality, they play together. We will talk and analyze."
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