- Japan won their last match in Group E fixtures
- Croatia drew their last match in Group F fixtures
- Both teams played a draw in their last meeting
Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup has been so much more exciting than we expected.
The group stage games have been full of surprising results from unexpected teams winning games and qualifying for the next round.
Group F Winner
Teams like Morocco, who finished as the Group F winner, finished with seven points above Croatia, who finished second with five points.
Some teams are set for their last round of games on Friday. By Friday night, every team would have been paired fully in the round of 16 knockout tables.
Unexpected teams out of the tournaments include Belgium, who finished in third place at the 2018 World Cup, and Germany, who were eliminated from their various groups.
Japan’s Incredible Performance
Japan had an incredible performance and deserved to win the group despite their World Cup betting odds, putting them as the underdogs.
Japan’s first game of the tournament was against Germany’s national team. They won the game in a surprising comeback after conceding a goal in the first game by the Ilkay Gundogan penalty.
The intensity of the game was high in the second half when Japan dominated the game, equalized in the 75th minute, and scored the winning goal in the 83rd by Takuma Asano, who was subbed in the 57th minute.
Japan’s Winnings
Although they lost their second game when they faced Costa Rica with a 0-1 scoreline, after the game, they faced Spain for their third-round game, and to everyone’s surprise, again, Japan won.
It was like when they faced Germany; Spain led with a goal in the first half, and Japan came back to score two goals in the second half to qualify for the round of 16.
Croatia’s Performance Recap
On the other hand, Croatia faced Morocco in their group stage games, and the game ended in a draw. They recorded their first win when they faced Costa Rica.
It was an exciting performance from the Croatians, where they recorded their first win after scoring four goals to one to earn three points.
However, they faced Belgium for their third-round game, which ended in a goalless draw, and Belgium got eliminated from the tournament.
Join us as we preview this match and give you our Japan vs Croatia odds, betting analysis, and predictions.
Japan vs. Croatia Odds
Japan | Draw | Croatia |
---|---|---|
+300 | +220 | +105 |
As we approach the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Japan and Croatia have been paired, and the Japan vs Croatia odds of winning are ready.
Croatia’s Odds Breakdown
Croatia’s odds of winning are lower, making them the favorite to win this tie, but don’t forget that sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.
We encounter some games where teams with underdog World Cup odds beat teams with lower odds. Qatar 2022 predictions have been pretty challenging so far.
Croatia’s odds of winning this match are +105, which is low and can be bet down. Their expected chance of winning is 49%. This team has won their previous match with these odds by 40%.
It is risky, but you can bet on them because betting is about taking the risk. We are supporting Croatia to win because they are still part of the contenders to win the title.
Japan’s Odds Breakdown
On the other hand, Japan’s odds of winning this game are +300, which is high compared to Croatia’s.
Although this team has shown how they can edge through a game as the underdog, Croatia will be ready for their intensity.
Japan vs. Croatia Information
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2022 – Japan vs Croatia
- Location of the Game: Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar
- Time: Monday, 5th December 2022, 04:00 PM WAT
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Japan
Japan has only appeared at the World Cup on seven different occasions. They are yet to win the World Cup title. They finished as the top group winner, above Spain, Germany, and Costa Rica.
This team participated in the 2018 FIFA World cup, where they were in a group alongside Colombia, Senegal, and Poland.
They finished with Colombia as the two top teams in their group after winning one match, drawing one, and losing one.
A Challenging Game Between Japan and Belgium
They got to the round of 16, where Japan was paired with Belgium. It was a challenging game that saw them play 2-3 to favor Belgium.
They are still in the ongoing World Cup tournament in Qatar and are set to face Croatia in the round of 16.
We hope Japan won’t repeat what happened in the last tournament, and they will advance to the quarter-final this time. The players who played against Spain are expected to be available against Croatia.
Their possible line-up includes:
- Shuichi Gonda
- Ko Itakura
- Maya Yoshida
- Shogo Taniguchi
- Junya Ito
- Hidemasa Morita
- Ao Tanaka
- Yuto Nagatomo
- Daichi Kamada
- Daizen Maeda
- Takefusa Kubo
And other in the substitution list.
Croatia
Croatia is still part of the teams that can win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They escaped elimination from Group F, where they were together with Belgium, who is also a contender but has been eliminated.
Croatia didn’t perform as much as they played in 2018, where they finished their group as the winner. They won three Group stage games when facing Nigeria, Iceland, and Argentina.
A Challenge for Croatia
After their group stage, Croatia paired them with the Denmark national team. It was challenging for Croatia, where they played a 1-1 draw.
However, they won in a penalty shootout and qualified for the quarter-final. For the ongoing World Cup tournament in Qatar, they are set to face Japan for their round of 16 games, and we hope Croatia can repeat history.
They would face Japan with the same team that played the three games in their group stage.
Their possible line would include:
- Dominik Livakovic
- Josi Juranovic
- Dejan Lovren
- Josko Gvardiol
- Boma Sosa
- Lua Modric
- Marcelo Brozovic
- Mateo Kovacic
- Andrej Kramaric
- Marko Livaja
- Ivan Perisic
And others in the substitution.
Japan vs. Croatia Pick and Prediction
It is round 16 of the World Cup, and this stage is always tricky to predict, Although we’ve got options.
Japan and Croatia would want to qualify for the Quarter-final, and we can see that Croatia has the favorite odds of winning this match, even though Japan has won their previous matches where they were the underdogs.
Both teams met twice at the world cup, and Japan vs Croatia odds have been similar.
The first was in 1998, when Croatia won in their group stage game, and their second meeting was in 2006, where they played a goalless draw in another group stage game.
Who to Bet On?
Knowing who will win this game will be tricky with both teams’ current performance. But we will predict safe so that every better won’t lose their money. In that case, below are our Japan vs. Croatia World Cup betting picks.
Final Prediction: Japan (1) vs. Croatia (1)
Pick: Over 2 (-130)
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