After conceding late to miss out on a victory against Germany, Spain finds itself with some work left to do against Japan to guarantee their spot in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2022. The Spaniards doen’t need much, though, because a draw on Thursday will be enough, and even a loss may allow the team to advance depending on the other Group E result between Germany and Costa Rica.
Japan doesn’t have it as easy, but a win will guarantee the Japanese a place in the knockout stage for the second straight time. It would be the first time Japan advances past the group stage in back-to-back tournaments. If Japan loses, though, the team will head home. “It’s going to be a high-pressure game for our players,” Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said Wednesday. “But we must believe in ourselves. The players must believe in themselves and they must believe in their teammates in order to fight against our opponent. Hopefully they will be able to do their best and the result will come.”
The Japanese opened their campaign with a surprising win over four-time champion Germany before losing to Costa Rica. They were eliminated by Belgium in the last 16 in Russia. Spain, which conceded an 83rd-minute equalizer against Germany, may also go home with a loss if Costa Rica beats the Germans or if the Germans win big to overcome Spain’s goal difference after its 7-0 opening win over Costa Rica.
_ Venga, vamos a poner alguna fotillo mas del entrenamiento de hoy.
— Seleccion Espanola de Futbol (@SEFutbol) November 30, 2022
_ (Es mas, me voy a guardar un par mas para despues que son... )#VamosEspana | #Catar2022 pic.twitter.com/JQrSMUvi00
A victory at Khalifa International Stadium will guarantee Spain first place in the group, and keep it on track for a possible matchup with five-time champion Brazil in the quarterfinals. “Hopefully we will get to face Brazil, because that would mean that we finished in first place in our group,” Spain coach Luis Enrique said. “To win a World Cup you need to beat every team, so we are not going to try to avoid anyone.”
Spain enters the final round with four points, one more than both Japan and Costa Rica. Germany has one point.
Ahead of the Japan vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E match, find livestreaming details below…
The FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E match between Japan vs Spain will be played on Friday – 2 December at 12:30 AM IST.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E match between Japan vs Spain will be played at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E match between Japan vs Spain will be telecast LIVE on Sports 18 channels in India.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E match between Japan vs Spain can be livestreamed on Jio Cinema website and app. You can stream the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free in India.
Japan: Shuichi Gonda, Hiroki Sakai, Maya Yoshida, Kou Itakura, Yuto Nagatomo, Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Takuma Asano
Spain: Unai Simon, Dani Carvajal, Rodri, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba, Pedri, Koke, Carlos Soler, Ferran Torres, Alvaro Morata, Dani Olmo