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Japan U23 vs Spain U23 prediction: Samurai Blue seek to extinguish La Roja flame

Japan U23 and Spain U23 will battle for a place in the Paris 2024 semi-finals on Friday afternoon.

Japan U23 vs Spain U23 prediction: Samurai Blue seek to extinguish La Roja flame

Japan U23 vs Spain U23 latest prediction

This Friday in Lyon, Japan will face Spain in the quarterfinals of the men’s Olympic football tournament, setting up a rematch of one of the 2020 semifinals. Japan has been in great form, winning 5-0 against Paraguay and 1-0 against Mali in the group stage without conceding a goal. They maintained their winning streak with a 1-0 victory over Israel.

Japan has shown a tendency to score most of their goals in the second half of matches, so they will likely approach this knockout match cautiously. In the 2021 quarterfinals at the Tokyo Games, they needed a penalty shootout to defeat New Zealand. However, they are one game away from reaching their third semifinal in the last four Summer Olympics.

Spain is aiming for their second consecutive final and third since their last gold win in 1992 in Barcelona, which is their only win in this event. In their last match against Egypt, they suffered a 2-1 loss, which caused them to lose the top spot in Group C for the first time in this campaign. Despite the defeat, they were their group’s highest scorers, with six players scoring goals.

Given the hot weather forecast, both teams would likely prefer to finish the game in regulation time rather than going into extra time. Spain has several goal-scoring options and will be eager to rebound from the loss to Egypt. They have played against Japan in the U23 tournament matches thrice since 2012, with one win, one draw, and one loss.

Japan U23 face Spain U23 at 4pm (UK time) on Friday 2nd August at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Japan U23 1-2 Spain U23 @ 8/1 with Bet365

Spain’s loss against Egypt in the final group stage should not be considered. Coach Santi Denia will have his first team back on the field, which can break Japan’s flawless defensive record.

Under 3.5 goals @ 1/4 with BetGoodwin

Two of Japan’s and Spain’s three Olympic matches ended with three or fewer goals. Japan has a strong defence, yet to concede in this competition, so this game may not be high-scoring.

Rihito Yamamoto to score anytime @ 14/1 with Bet365

Japan’s captain, Rihito Yamamoto, scored in the second half of the first two games in France but was substituted at halftime during the match against Israel. He provided two assists in the U-23 Asian Cup in April and has been involved in four goals in his last six starts for his national team.

Japan U23 team news

Japan have no fresh injury concerns, but midfielder Yu Hirakawa remains doubtful after missing the previous matches. Shunsuke Mito, who netted twice in the opening 5-0 win over Paraguay, is pushing for a return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench against Mali and Israel.

Spain U23 team news

Spain made ten changes for their match against Egypt. Fermín López is expected to be among the many players returning to Denia’s starting XI. The Barcelona midfielder scored four of his last six goals at club level after the 55th minute, although his only goal in this tournament so far was in the first half.

How to watch Japan U23 vs Spain U23 live

Japan U23 face Spain U23 in their men’s Olympic games quarter-final at 4pm on Friday 2nd August, with the game set to be broadcast live on Eurosport 5 and Discovery+.


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