The Round of 16 match of the World Cup between Japan and Croatia will take place on December 5 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah. Kick-off is at 18:00 (Moscow time). Japan vs. Croatia: prediction and betting odds, World Cup 2022 match statistics.
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
Matches – 10 (International matches, 2021–2022);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 44;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 31;
Penalties – 20%.
Japan vs. Croatia: Predicted Lineups
Japan: Shuichi Gonda, Yuto Nagatomo, Maya Yoshida, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Shogo Taniguchi, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan, Daizen Maeda.
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic, Dejan Lovren, Borna Barisic, Josip Juranovic, Josko Gvardiol, Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Andrej Kramaric, Bruno Petkovic.
Japan
The Asian team advanced to the World Cup 2022 playoffs from the top of Group E. In the final round, Japan defeated Spain 2-1. Prior to that, the team beat Germany (2-1) and lost to Costa Rica (0-1). Notably, in their last match, Japan had only 17.7% possession – the lowest ever for a winning team in World Cup history. Japan also matched the record of Brazil and Germany by winning two World Cup matches in which they were trailing at halftime.
An important player for Japan in the 2022 World Cup is forward Ritsu Doan. He came off the bench against Spain and Germany, turning both games around by scoring a goal in each. However, the upcoming match will see the absence of key defender Ko Itakura due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Japan has shown inconsistent results, alternating wins and losses in their last four World Cup matches. Nonetheless, the team has scored 1-2 goals in six of their last eight World Cup games. However, defensively, Japan has been less reliable, failing to keep a clean sheet in their previous eight World Cup games.
Croatia
Croatia reached the Round of 16 of the World Cup 2022 by finishing second in Group F. In the third round, the team drew 0-0 with Belgium. In their two previous matches, Croatia shared points with Morocco (0-0) and defeated Canada (4-1). This marks the third time in their history that Croatia has reached the World Cup playoffs.
The team excels in midfield, where the main star, midfielder Luka Modric, plays. The cohesive trio of Modric, Kovacic, and Brozovic creates a balanced midfield, giving the Balkans an edge over most opponents. Additionally, defender Josko Gvardiol has been impressive in central defense.
The Balkan team has suffered only one defeat in regular time in their last 10 World Cup matches (4 wins, 5 draws). Furthermore, Croatia is unbeaten in their last eight official matches (5 wins, 3 draws). Notably, Croatia conceded only one goal during the group stage of the current World Cup.
Japan vs. Croatia: Match Prediction
Japan defeated two European football giants in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, doing so in a similar fashion. The Asian team played deep defense in the first half and then pressed actively after the break, capitalizing on opponents' mistakes. In the upcoming match, it will be difficult to repeat this strategy, especially since Croatia tends to play reactively.
The Balkans conceded only one goal in the group stage, which came in the second minute against Canada. For me, this is more of an anomaly than a trend. Croatia defends well and can control the game in midfield, though they sometimes struggle in attack. Notably, the team failed to score in two of their three matches in this World Cup.
Both teams are unlikely to take risks in the upcoming match. Each will try to showcase their best game, which is primarily defense-oriented. I expect a low-scoring game, with a slight preference for the finalists of the last World Cup.
My prediction: Double chance X2 + Total under 3.5 goals
