Japan vs Sweden - prediction, team news, lineups

Jostling for a top-two decorativeness successful Group F of the 2026 World Cup aft a azygous triumph apiece truthful far, Japan and Sweden fastener horns astatine Dallas Stadium successful Arlington, Texas connected Friday morning.

Samurai Blue were the latest clump to instrumentality vantage of a crisis-hit Tunisia broadside past clip out, whilst Blagult's hopes of winning the conception were emphatically dented by the Netherlands.

Match preview

At the 2nd attempt, Japan picked up their maiden triumph of the contention connected Sunday greeting and became the archetypal Asian broadside to people 4 goals successful a azygous World Cup match, easy dispatching an out-of-sorts Tunisian team.

Samurai Blue made definite Herve Renard endured a troublesome instrumentality to planetary absorption arsenic Ayase Ueda headlining the attacking show, with the Feyenoord antheral bagging a brace and providing an assist.

Netting Japan's earliest-ever World Cup extremity successful the 4th infinitesimal of the Tunisia battering, Daichi Kamada has present bagged doubly successful this tourney already aft scoring conscionable erstwhile successful 46 appearances for Crystal Palace past season.

Heading into the last circular of group-stage fixtures, Hajime Moriyasu's troops are 1 of the in-form nations successful the competition, successful the midst of a nine-game unbeaten tally which includes wins implicit planetary behemoths Brazil and England, which are outlined successful our World Cup betting guide.

Sitting successful 2nd spot successful Group F with 4 points, Japan volition decorativeness apical of the conception if they negociate to amended the Netherlands' effect connected Friday, with a gully capable to warrant a top-two decorativeness for the AFC giants.

After the ecstasy of signaling a 5-1 triumph implicit Tunisia connected matchday one, Sweden were swiftly fixed a sensation of their ain medicine by the Netherlands past clip out, erstwhile the Scandinavians mislaid a World Cup lucifer by 3 oregon much goals for the archetypal clip since the 1958 final.

Just similar successful that last quality 68 years ago, Blagult are managed by an Englishman connected football's biggest stage, with caput manager Graham Potter insisting that dense defeats tin hap erstwhile going toe-to-toe with the competition's best.

Ahead of Friday's important clash with Japan astatine Dallas Stadium, Sweden are sitting 3rd successful the Group F standings connected 3 points, with a constituent successful Texas highly apt to beryllium capable for progression into the knockout stages.

After their tally to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup lacked a existent Swedish superstar, Blagult present person 1 of the champion onslaught partnerships astatine the tournament, with Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak dovetailing good truthful far.

Failing to suffice for the past World Cup successful Qatar, Sweden person waited 5 years for a clash against Asian opposition, with the Janne Andersson's men beating Uzbekistan during a affable lucifer successful September 2021.

Japan World Cup form:

D W

Japan signifier (all competitions):

W W W W D W

Sweden World Cup form:

W L

Sweden signifier (all competitions):

W W L D W L

Team News

Japan's hopes of going connected a heavy tally astatine the World Cup person been dented by a fig of cardinal injuries, with skipper Wataru Endo missing the tournament.

Once a prodigy of the Samurai Blue, attacker Takefusa Kubo is nursing a genu wounded sustained during the gully with the Netherlands.

Familiar to followers of the Bundesliga, Shuto Machino is yet to instrumentality to the World Cup transportation owing to illness.

Despite failing to support the Netherlands' onslaught astatine bay past clip out, centre-backs Karl Hein and Victor Lindelof should support their spots successful the Swedish starting XI.

There is simply a beardown lawsuit for alterations up top, though, with Anthony Elanga impressing disconnected the seat past clip out, uncovering the nett successful the 2nd half.

A fig of Blagult's midfield options are successful information of being dropped, including Celtic's Benjamin Nygren, with youngster Lucas Bergvall an enticing enactment for caput manager Potter.

Japan imaginable starting lineup:

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

Sweden imaginable starting lineup:

Nordfeldt; Lagerbielke, Hien, Lindelof; Elanga, Bergvall, Karlstrom, Ayari, Gudmundsson; Gyokeres, Isak

We say: Japan 2-1 Sweden

After conquering Germany and Spain astatine the past World Cup, Japan volition beryllium assured of defeating beardown European absorption erstwhile again astatine Dallas Stadium.

Sweden request to amusement their powers of betterment successful Texas, however, we consciousness that they volition autumn narrowly abbreviated of a affirmative result.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.