Japan vs Australia[/s]
World Cup Qualifiers Third Round
31 August, 11:35 (CET)
[s]Saitama Stadium, Midori-ku, Saitama.
As World Cup 2018 qualifiers, this is a huge match for the two nations involved. The top two teams in either group of Round Three will automatically take their place in Russia, while the third-placed team must head onwards to Round Four and hope they can hold their nerve there.
In Group B and with just two gameweeks remaining, Japan top the group on 17 points, while Australia and Saudi Arabia sit just behind on 16. We told you this was a big game!
For Japan, this fixture has particularly serious connotations. Their final Group B game is away from home against Saudi Arabia, while Australia have a home date with Thailand – they sit bottom of the league with just two points from eight games.
So the bigger picture suggests the Socceroos hold all the aces, so can Japan win this game on August 31 and put one foot on the plane to Russia?
1. Betting Odds - 1X2
The bookmakers have identified what a tough game this is to call. They have made Japan their 1.85 favourites, but Australia aren’t too far behind on 4.44. The draw is available at 3.60.
Japan v Australia - Best odds
Last update: 1503563409
2. Japan vs Australia Betting Tips and Analysis
Perhaps the key to this fixture is the fact that Japan have home advantage to call upon. Their record on their own turf in this part of qualifying reads W3 D0 L1, which is not flawless by any means but certainly outstrips Australia’s away record of W0 D3 L1.
The Aussies have the benefit of knowing that either Japan, Saudi Arabia or both will drop points in their final fixture, and assuming they beat Thailand they will be in pole position to qualify. As such, they might just be happy to avoid defeat in Japan, rather than sending out a team laser-focused on victory, and that will have implications as to how this match pans out.
All of Japan’s home games have witnessed three or more goals, but this particular game will surely book the trend and be a tight and conservative affair. Australia drew 2-2 in Saudi Arabia, but a couple of other eye-catching away results are the 1-0 win in the United Arab Emirates and the 1-1 draw with Iraq. It seems as if they are happy to defend in numbers on the road.
The recent success of Japanese football can be linked to the number of their players who now play their club football in some of the world’s best competitions. There’s Shinji Okazaki – a Premier League title winner with Leicester - and Maya Yoshida of England’s top flight, Genki Haraguchi, Gotoku Sakai and Shinji Kagawa from the German Bundesliga, Takashi Inui of La Liga and Eiji Kawashima ad Hiroki Sakai of Ligue 1. That has had a knock-on effect to the national team’s fortunes.
Australia are rather less well-stocked with top class talent, but Aaron Mooy recently scored the winning goal for Huddersfield in their second Premier League game, Mathew Leckie bagged a brace for Hertha Berlin in their opening Bundesliga victory and Mile Jedinak and Jackson Irvine continue to perform well in the second tier of English football.
And we like the Australian’s spirit too; they are so tough to beat. And that’s why we’re happy to back them here with a +0.25 Asian Handicap at odds of 1.90.
Both Japan and Australia’s hopes of qualifying for World Cup 2018 rest largely on this game. Who will get the result they need?
Tags: Japan vs Australia predictions, match preview, 2018 World Cup qualifier Asia, Japan vs Australia odds, betting tips, free football tips, soccer.
Japan vs Australia Predictions, Betting Tips, Odds, Preview
Japan vs Australia[/s]
World Cup Qualifiers Third Round
31 August, 11:35 (CET)
[s]Saitama Stadium, Midori-ku, Saitama.
As World Cup 2018 qualifiers, this is a huge match for the two nations involved. The top two teams in either group of Round Three will automatically take their place in Russia, while the third-placed team must head onwards to Round Four and hope they can hold their nerve there.
In Group B and with just two gameweeks remaining, Japan top the group on 17 points, while Australia and Saudi Arabia sit just behind on 16. We told you this was a big game!
For Japan, this fixture has particularly serious connotations. Their final Group B game is away from home against Saudi Arabia, while Australia have a home date with Thailand – they sit bottom of the league with just two points from eight games.
So the bigger picture suggests the Socceroos hold all the aces, so can Japan win this game on August 31 and put one foot on the plane to Russia?
Contents
1. Betting Odds - 1X2
The bookmakers have identified what a tough game this is to call. They have made Japan their 1.85 favourites, but Australia aren’t too far behind on 4.44. The draw is available at 3.60.
2. Japan vs Australia Betting Tips and Analysis
Perhaps the key to this fixture is the fact that Japan have home advantage to call upon. Their record on their own turf in this part of qualifying reads W3 D0 L1, which is not flawless by any means but certainly outstrips Australia’s away record of W0 D3 L1.
The Aussies have the benefit of knowing that either Japan, Saudi Arabia or both will drop points in their final fixture, and assuming they beat Thailand they will be in pole position to qualify. As such, they might just be happy to avoid defeat in Japan, rather than sending out a team laser-focused on victory, and that will have implications as to how this match pans out.
All of Japan’s home games have witnessed three or more goals, but this particular game will surely book the trend and be a tight and conservative affair. Australia drew 2-2 in Saudi Arabia, but a couple of other eye-catching away results are the 1-0 win in the United Arab Emirates and the 1-1 draw with Iraq. It seems as if they are happy to defend in numbers on the road.
The recent success of Japanese football can be linked to the number of their players who now play their club football in some of the world’s best competitions. There’s Shinji Okazaki – a Premier League title winner with Leicester - and Maya Yoshida of England’s top flight, Genki Haraguchi, Gotoku Sakai and Shinji Kagawa from the German Bundesliga, Takashi Inui of La Liga and Eiji Kawashima ad Hiroki Sakai of Ligue 1. That has had a knock-on effect to the national team’s fortunes.
Australia are rather less well-stocked with top class talent, but Aaron Mooy recently scored the winning goal for Huddersfield in their second Premier League game, Mathew Leckie bagged a brace for Hertha Berlin in their opening Bundesliga victory and Mile Jedinak and Jackson Irvine continue to perform well in the second tier of English football.
And we like the Australian’s spirit too; they are so tough to beat. And that’s why we’re happy to back them here with a +0.25 Asian Handicap at odds of 1.90.
Both Japan and Australia’s hopes of qualifying for World Cup 2018 rest largely on this game. Who will get the result they need?
Tags: Japan vs Australia predictions, match preview, 2018 World Cup qualifier Asia, Japan vs Australia odds, betting tips, free football tips, soccer.