Japan vs Paraguay: H2H, lineups and match prediction — October 10, 2025
On October 10, in an international friendly, Japan will take on Paraguay. Read on for an in-depth look at both teams and our match prediction.
See also: South Korea vs Brazil prediction and betting tips 10 Оctober 2025
Match preview
Japan, after finishing first in their World Cup qualification group and securing an early spot at the tournament, have played five matches: three wins in a friendly tournament with an aggregate score of 9:1 (against South Korea, China, and Hong Kong), and two other friendlies — a goalless draw against Mexico and a 0:2 defeat to the USA.
Japan generally prefer to control possession and dictate the tempo, but they often struggle against well-organized low blocks: the team finds it hard to create chances in such scenarios and tends to drop points, as seen against Australia (0:1) and Saudi Arabia (0:0).
Paraguay have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2010, finishing sixth in their qualifying group — enough to secure Gustavo Alfaro's men a direct ticket to the world’s biggest stage.
The clash with Japan will be their first since qualification. Paraguay conceded only ten goals in 18 matches, making them one of the best defensive sides of the qualifiers. Only Ecuador did better, letting in just five. In their last five matches, Paraguay lost only once (to Brazil, 0:1), picked up two wins — against Peru and Uruguay (1:0 and 2:0) — and drew twice, with Ecuador (0:0) and Colombia (2:2).
Probable lineups
Japan: Osako, Takai, Sekō, Suzuki, Morishita, Endo, Sano, Mito, Kubo, Kamada, Machino
Paraguay: Gill, Velázquez, Gómez, Alderete, Sandes, Sosa, Gómez, Bobadilla, Romero, Sanabria, Martínez
Match facts and head-to-head
- Japan have won each of the last four meetings between the sides
- Japan have claimed victory in four of their last six matches
- Paraguay have conceded just one goal in their last five matches
Prediction
I expect a hard-fought contest, despite the friendly status. Paraguay will likely sit deep and defend, while Japan have historically struggled to break down such defensive setups. My prediction: under 2.5 goals at 1.7
