In 2006, these teams met for the first time at the world’s biggest football tournament. Back then, you could bet on Brazil to win at odds of 1.28 and hardly worry about the outcome.
In that match, Seleção won convincingly, 4-1, and the legendary Ronaldo netted a brace.
These days, Japan’s level of play has improved significantly, as evidenced by 1xBet odds for the main outcomes: Brazil to win – 1.80, draw – 3.75, Japan to win – 5.18.
Carlo Ancelotti accepted challenge
A year ago, the Brazilian Football Confederation took a bold step by inviting a foreigner as a head coach for the first time. And not just anyone, but Carlo Ancelotti himself. As a manager, the Italian won the Champions League five times, claimed titles in all Europe’s top leagues, and represented the Squadra Azzurra as a player. Yet he had never previously taken charge of a national team.
Ancelotti’s goal is to bring the five-time champions back to the pinnacle of world football and restore Seleção to their former glory. At the tournament in North America, Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco before recording identical 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland. As a result, the team advanced to the Round of 32 as group winners, edging out Morocco on goal difference. As for the long-term bets on the tournament winner, Verde-Amarela is currently ranked sixth.
Besides, interest in the Brazil national team was fueled thanks to Neymar. First, fans speculated whether Ancelotti would include the star player on the roster. Then they tried to predict the exact match when the 34-year-old veteran would take the pitch. The long-awaited moment finally arrived! In the 76th minute of Scotland vs Brazil, with Brazil 3-0 up, Neymar replaced Matheus Cunha, one of the goalscorers. A couple of minutes later, the legendary forward threaded a pass to Vinícius Júnior, whose shot was saved by the Scotland goalkeeper. Vini Jr himself scored twice in that match, continuing his pursuit of Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
Japan played Europeans on equal terms
On Matchday 1, the Japan national team put up a strong fight against the Netherlands. During the match, the Oranje took the lead twice, but both times the Samurai Blue equalized. So, a productive 2-2 draw earned the team its first point. Matchday 2 clash Tunisia vs Japan marked the 1,000th fixture in the tournament's history. That historic showdown ended with a convincing victory for Hajime Moriyasu’s side (4-0).
The match between Japan and Sweden decided who would finish second. Sweden needed nothing less than a victory, while a draw would be enough for Japan. After halftime, the two sides traded goals within six minutes and left it at that. In the end, both teams got what they needed: Japan reached the knockout stage from second place, while Sweden advanced from third.
To conclude this 1xBet review, let’s take a look at what to expect from the upcoming clash. Brazil is considered the favorite; Seleção has nearly a 75% chance of making it to the Round of 16. But the Japan national team secured its knockout stage spot through excellent organization, team speed, and discipline. Can structure beat class?
