After their draw with Uruguay on Friday, England return to action on Tuesday evening as they take on Japan at Wembley. With the World Cup now just a few months away, Thomas Tuchel will be eager to see an improved performance from his troops. Kick-off is at 7:45pm and you can find our match preview and best bets below.
Best Bets & Predictions
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both teams to score | 1/1 @ Ladbrokes (50.0%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | England come into this in strong form, unbeaten in their last seven matches with six wins in that run. However, they could be tested defensively against a Japan side who have scored in each of their last five games. Japan’s recent results have been impressive, with victories over Brazil, Scotland, Bolivia and Ghana during that spell, highlighting their attacking threat heading into this fixture. |
| Harry Kane to Score | 11/10 @ Betway 47.6%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Harry Kane should return to the starting line-up for England and has scored 10 goals in his last 10 appearances for his country. Kane has been in sensational form this season and makes plenty of appeal at 11/10 to find the net here. |
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How both teams head into England vs Japan
Thomas Tuchel’s heavily rotated England side saw their six match winning run come to an end with a draw against Uruguay. Ben White was at the centre of attention, scoring early on before conceding a late penalty, which ended England’s long run without conceding. With key players like Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka missing, the performance lacked its usual sharpness.
Despite that, Tuchel remained positive, viewing the match as valuable preparation ahead of the World Cup. England are still unbeaten at Wembley under his management and have now scored in 21 consecutive matches, showing there is still plenty of attacking consistency within the squad.
Japan have been strong in front of goal since their last blank in September, going on a consistent run of performances in friendlies. After a 2-2 draw with Paraguay, they put together a four match winning streak, including an impressive 3-2 victory over Brazil, along with wins against Ghana and Bolivia.
They continued that form with a 1-0 win over Scotland, with Junya Ito scoring late on. This match serves as another key step in their World Cup preparations, although they face a tough challenge against England, a side they have never beaten in three previous meetings.
England team news
Ahead of Tuesday’s friendly, England are missing at least eight players from their squad. Adam Wharton and Noni Madueke are sidelined with injuries from the Uruguay match, while John Stones picked up a knock beforehand. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have returned to Arsenal for medical checks, and Fikayo Tomori, Aaron Ramsdale and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are back with their clubs.
Despite the absences, the rest of Tuchel’s 27-man squad are ready to go. Players who watched on from the stands on Friday, including Dean Henderson, Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane, are all available for selection, with the England manager expected to make several changes for the upcoming fixture.
Japan team news
The same applies to Japan, who are expected to restore Kaoru Mitoma and Daichi Kamada to the starting lineup after only being used as substitutes against Scotland.
The Samurai Blue reported no new issues at Hampden Park and are likely to line up in their familiar 3-4-2-1 formation, with Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda leading the attack. However, former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss out after withdrawing through injury, preventing a reunion with England full-back Ben White.
Head-to-Head
England and Japan have only faced off three times in their history. The first was back in 1995 when England came out 2-1 winners in the Umbro Cup. The pair then played out a 1-1 draw in 2004, before another friendly in 2010 when England once again won 2-1, with both goals being own goals.
Conclusion
England will have to improve on Tuesday evening after a rather dismal display against Uruguay. This could be more of an open affair and backing both teams to score looks a soldid wager at even money. We also like the look of the 11/10 for Harry Kane to score and make it 11 in his last 11 international appearances.
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