Japan are heading into the World Cup with plenty of swagger after showing real growth over the last few tournaments and the boys look set to make waves in North America. They have been grinding out results in friendlies and the current run of five straight wins has everyone talking about them as dark horses who could shock a few teams once the group stage wraps up.
Team Form
- Five wins on the bounce including big scalps against Brazil and England
- Iceland struggling with just one win in their last ten outings and heavy defeats in recent warm up games
- Japan already qualified early so they have had more time to gel and test new combinations
The Japanese side have used these matches to build confidence and the young talents are stepping up nicely which gives them an edge over sides still trying to find their feet.
Tactical Analysis
- Japan press high and move the ball quickly which could expose Iceland’s slower back line
- Iceland rely on set pieces and long balls but their attack has looked blunt lately
- With extra playoff rounds now in the World Cup Japan have a realistic shot at claiming their first knockout win
Expect the Asian side to control possession and create plenty of chances while Iceland will sit deep and hope for a counter or a dead ball moment to nick something.
Betting Proposal
After weighing up the recent form and the gap in quality it makes sense to back the Japanese lads to win comfortably at home. Japan to win with a handicap of minus 1.5 at odds of 1.85 looks the smart play as they should have too much for Iceland over ninety minutes.
Overall this tie shapes up as a mismatch and Japan are the types to deliver a statement result that keeps their momentum rolling into the proper tournament games.
