Brazil vs Japan - prediction, team news, lineups

A fixture definite to make plentifulness of involvement crossed the best World Cup betting sites, Brazil and Japan quadrate disconnected successful 1 of the much intriguing World Cup last-32 battles connected Monday evening.

The NRG Stadium successful Houston welcomes the Group C winners and Group F runners-up, who are vying to conscionable either Ivory Coast oregon Norway successful the past 16.

Match preview

It is not astir however you start, but however you finish; that has nary uncertainty been Brazil's mantra ever since the Selecao's underwhelming 1-1 gully with Morocco, which they bounced backmost from successful emphatic manner successful Group C.

Back-to-back 3-0 wins implicit Haiti and Scotland - mostly inspired by Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha - sent Carlo Ancelotti's men done to the knockout rounds arsenic radical winners, edging retired 2022 semi-finalists Morocco by virtuousness of a superior extremity difference.

Not since 1982 person the five-time champions failed to advancement to the knockout stages of the World Cup, wherever they are present connected a collision people to conscionable holders and adjacent neighbours Argentina successful a mouthwatering semi-final.

The Selecao charges volition garbage to look that acold up conscionable yet, but Ancelotti's broadside are purring astatine the close time, earning 5 wins from their past six matches aft prevailing successful conscionable 5 of their erstwhile 12 earlier that tally began.

Brazil person besides kept back-to-back cleanable sheets aft conceding astatine slightest 1 extremity successful each of their erstwhile six matches earlier taking down Haiti, but the South American giants were successful antiaircraft disarray the past clip they went head-to-head with Japan.

With nary Gabriel Magalhaes oregon Marquinhos manning the Brazil backline, Japan memorably bested the Selecao 3-2 during an October friendly, thereby earning their archetypal triumph implicit the five-time satellite champions astatine the 14th attempt.

Edging that five-goal thriller represents 1 of a fistful of notable results against the large boys for Hajime Moriyasu's men, who person besides beaten England and drawn with the Netherlands successful 2026, underlining their credentials arsenic imaginable acheronian horses astatine the Mundial.

However, Japan had to settee for 2nd successful Group F owing to a 1-1 gully against Sweden connected June 25, erstwhile goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made a fistful of captious saves to guarantee the Samurai Blue's silver-medal standing.

Anthony Elanga's ace onslaught for Sweden was conscionable the 3rd extremity that Japan person conceded successful their past 540 minutes of football, though, offering anticipation that the Samurai Blue tin banish a World Cup curse that has perpetually haunted them.

Indeed, Japan person inactive ne'er won a World Cup knockout lucifer successful the men's game, suffering consecutive last-16 losses successful 2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022, portion failing to marque it retired of the radical signifier connected each different juncture since 1998.

Brazil World Cup form:

Brazil signifier (all competitions):

Japan World Cup form:

Japan signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Brazil strode past Scotland without the services of Barcelona winger Raphinha, who picked up a caller hamstring wounded against Haiti connected matchday 2 and is yet to resume squad training.

While Raphinha's presumption for Monday remains unclear, Ancelotti is expected to support religion with an identical XI, meaning a archetypal World Cup knockout commencement for Bournemouth wonderkid Rayan other the in-form Vinicius Junior.

The Real Madrid helping wizard is present conscionable 1 of 5 Brazil players to people successful each group-stage crippled of a World Cup; successful each of the erstwhile 4 instances, the Selecao won the rubric -  Jairzinho 1970, Romario 1994, Ronaldo and Rivaldo 2002.

On Japan's end, centre-back Ko Itakura was an aboriginal withdrawal against Sweden arsenic helium came disconnected successful the 39th infinitesimal owed to an evident injury, albeit 1 that is not believed to beryllium serious.

There is much interest surrounding attacker Takefusa Kubo, who is inactive not grooming afloat owing to a genu injury, truthful an quality successful the past 32 is considered highly unlikely.

After bagging the opening extremity past clip out, Celtic's Daizen Maeda has apt done capable to clasp his spot implicit Junya Ito, but midfield wide Kaishu Sano should instrumentality astatine Yukinari Sugawara's expense.

Brazil imaginable starting lineup:

Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Santos; Guimaraes, Casemiro; Rayan, Paqueta, Vinicius Jr; Cunha

Japan imaginable starting lineup:

Suzuki; Ito, Tomiyasu, Itakura; Doan, Sano, Tanaka, Nakamura; Kamada, Maeda; Ueda

We say: Brazil 2-1 Japan (a.e.t)

Never person Japan been taken much earnestly arsenic a footballing federation until present - with bully crushed - and Brazil volition look acold tougher tests against the Samurai Blue than they did successful the past.

However, Japan's triumph implicit Ancelotti's men successful October indispensable beryllium caveated by Brazil's second-string defence, and volition a afloat complement of options disposable - barring the stricken Raphinha - the free-scoring Selecao person our ballot to progress, albeit aft a two-hour marathon.

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