One of the standout fixtures of the fourth round of Asian World Cup qualifiers will take place on Tuesday in Saitama, where Japan will face Australia. Here’s a prediction for the match from the experts at Dailysports.
- Also read: Central African Republic vs Morocco prediction, H2H & Probable Line-ups - October 15, 2024
Japan
In the last Asian Cup, Japan made an impressive run to the quarterfinals, where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Iran. The "Samurai" conceded the only goal of the match from a penalty in the dying minutes. In the second phase of World Cup qualifiers, Japan displayed flawless form, collecting maximum points from six matches.
The new phase of World Cup qualifying has begun just as spectacularly for the Japanese side. In their opening match, they dismantled China with a 7-0 thrashing. This was followed by another dominant performance, where Japan easily dispatched Bahrain with a 5-0 win away from home. On Thursday, Japan continued their excellent run with a crucial 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on the road.
Australia
Australia, on the other hand, had a disappointing start to their qualification campaign. In their opener, they unexpectedly lost 0-1 to Bahrain, stunning their fans. In the next round, the "Socceroos" traveled to Indonesia, once again being tipped as favorites. However, they were unable to break down the opposition's defense, with the match ending in a goalless draw.
Australia finally recorded their first win of the third phase of qualification in the third round, defeating China 3-1 at home. With only four points from two matches, Australia currently sits second in the table. They trail Japan by five points, and both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also have four points each.
Match Facts
- Both teams have scored in three of their last five encounters.
- The "Total Over 2.5" bet has only hit twice in their last five matches.
- Japan has won their last seven matches, without conceding a single goal.
Head-to-Head
Japan has beaten Australia in their last three meetings and won four out of their last five encounters.
Probable Lineups
- Japan: Suzuki, Itakura, Taniguchi, Machida, Doan, Endo, Morita, Mitoma, Minamino, Kamada, Ueda
- Australia: Ryan; Miller, Souttar, Burgess, Behich; Silvera, Irvine, Baccus, Goodwin; Mabil, Taggart
Prediction
Japan is currently in such strong form that even against Australia, bookmakers are offering odds of just 1.30 for a win. Our recommendation is to bet on "Japan to win the 1st half / Japan to win the match" with odds of 1.80.