England welcome Japan to Wembley for an international friendly, with both sides using the match to prepare and fine-tune their squads ahead of World Cup.
England vs Japan Form and Head to Head
England head into this friendly off the back of a 1-1 draw with Uruguay, a result that followed a strong 2-0 away win against Albania in World Cup qualifying. Before that, they looked sharp at home, beating Serbia 2-0, and showed their attacking quality with a 5-0 win away to Latvia. Add in a 3-0 win over Wales and another 5-0 victory against Serbia on the road, and it is clear the Three Lions have been in good scoring form, particularly when playing away from home.
Japan arrive in solid shape themselves, coming off a narrow 1-0 win over Scotland in their most recent friendly. That result followed convincing home victories against Bolivia and Ghana, as well as an impressive 3-2 win over Brazil and a 2-2 draw with Paraguay. Their only recent setback came in a 2-0 loss to the USA, but overall they have been regularly finding the net and showing plenty of attacking threat.
Head-to-head, there is not a lot to separate the two sides, with England winning once and the other two meetings ending in draws. Their most recent clash came back in 2010, when England edged a 2-1 victory in a friendly.
Who is the Betting Favourite in England vs Japan?
England are the betting favourites to beat Japan. Latest odds imply roughly a 60% chance of a win for Thomas Tuchel's side and Japan closer to 18%.
| Match Winner | Best Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| England | 3/5 | Coral |
| Japan | 5/1 | BresBet |
| Draw | 7/2 | AK Bets |
Odds last updated at 6:30PM Tuesday, 31st March.
England vs Japan Team News
England have been hit by a number of withdrawals ahead of this friendly, with eight players leaving the camp. Adam Wharton and Noni Madueke picked up injuries during the draw with Uruguay, while John Stones also picked up a knock. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have returned to Arsenal for medical checks, and Fikayo Tomori, Aaron Ramsdale, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have all been released back to their clubs.
Despite the setbacks, Thomas Tuchel is expected to rotate heavily and give opportunities to other players. Names like Dean Henderson, Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi, Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, and Harry Kane are all in contention to feature.
Japan are also likely to make changes, with Kaoru Mitoma and Daichi Kamada expected to return to the starting XI after being limited to cameos against Scotland. They are expected to stick with their familiar 3-4-2-1 setup, with Ayase Ueda leading the line once again. However, Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss out after withdrawing from the squad due to injury.
England vs Japan Predicted Lineups
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Harwood-Bellis, Konsa, Guéhi, White; Mainoo, Anderson; Gordon, Rogers, Palmer; Kane
Japan (3-4-2-1): Suzuki; Nakamura, Watanabe, Machida; Keito Nakamura, Tanaka, Kamada, Doan; Kubo, Mitoma; Ueda
England vs Japan Match Prediction
England will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing draw with Uruguay. Even with several changes to the squad, Thomas Tuchel’s side still looks strong, especially at home, where they tend to perform well. They’ve consistently found ways to score, even when rotating players, which remains one of their biggest strengths.
Japan arrive in good form and could cause problems, particularly on the counter-attack, but their more open style might leave gaps at the back against a quality side like England. With greater depth and fresher options to call on, England should have the edge. It has all the makings of a competitive match, but England are expected to come out on top, likely with a comfortable win.
Prediction: England 2-0 Japan
England vs Japan Bet Builder Tip
Our England vs Japan Bet Builder Tip includes England Win, No - Both Teams To Score, and Over 9.5 - Match Shots On Target.
Best odds of 9/1 at Paddy Power while publishing.
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