Shinji Kagawa has insisted that Japan will be adopting an attacking approach when they take on Greece on Thursday night.

Japan's Group C campaign started disappointingly as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast, but he believes that Greece's own opening loss to Colombia should create an open game in Natal.

"We were never really in control of the game against Cote d'Ivoire," the Manchester United playmaker told AFP.

"Greece will attack us because they lost too. We have no option but to attack."

Japan are looking to reach the knockout stages for the second successive time after exiting the tournament in the last-16 four years ago.