Japan will be hoping for another win as they face Cost Rica on Sunday. James Cantrill previews the game picking out his best bet.
Football betting tips: Japan v Costa Rica
2pts Japan win and Over 1.5 goals at 5/6 (10Bet)
I don’t think these sides could have made more contrasting starts to their respective World Cup campaigns.
Japan pulled off a historic victory over Germany, fighting back after Ilkay Gundogan's opener from the spot.
Hajime Moriyasu’s side completed 29 tackles, made 38 clearances and eight saves depicting the monument effort pretty well.
Goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano in the final 15 minutes snatched the points from the Germans and whilst the Samurai Blue were good value for the goals, generating an xG of 2.02, I’m not convinced they deserved all three points.
Die Mannschaft should have put the game to bed by half time, missing five big chances, racking up 26 shots and generating an xG of 3.81 across the 90.
This game was decided in the dug outs though with Moriyasu half time substitution and tactical switch swinging the tide.
Winger Takefusa Kubo was sacrificed for Takehiro Tomiyasu, a defender, with Japan switching to a five at the back to combat the overloads Germany, particularly Niklas Sule, were creating.
After tightening up, the Samurai Blue grew into the game before eventually securing the best result in their nation’s footballing history.
Costa Rica’s opener against Spain could not have gone much for the South American’s, seven goals conceded without even registering a shot and completed 230 passes, they quite literally did not lay a glove on la Furia Roja.
Some idiot tipped La Sele’s stopper Keylor Navas to win man of the match… Lets hope I get a bigger closer here.
Following those results, Japan shortened from 6/10 to 2/5 and rightfully so.
I think siding with them in some capacity is the play here and you can combine a JAPAN WIN/OVER 1.5 match goals at a shade under evens.
This literally only rules out the 1-0 Japan victory and considering how these sides' opening games went it does not look likely.
At odds of 11/2, the probability of the game ending 1-0 to Japan is 15.4% but 87% of their last 15 victories have come by over score lines, including a 14-0 win over Mongolia.
Japan v Costa Rica best bets and score prediction
- 2pts Japan win and Over 1.5 goals at 5/6 (10Bet)
Score prediction: Japan 3-0 Costa Rica (Sky Bet odds: 8/1)
Odds correct at 10450 GMT (25/11/22)
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