A place in the last 16 of the Asian Cup will be at stake on Wednesday at Al Thumama Stadium when Japan take on Indonesia.

Both teams are level after two group fixtures with three points each after the Japanese were beaten 2-1 by Iraq, and Indonesia walked away with a 1-0 triumph over Vietnam.

Match preview

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Since June 2023, Japan have been tearing through the competition, but they were humbled by Iraq in their previous encounter, as their 11-match winning run in all competitions came to an end.

Doha was the site of their previous group stage defeat at this tournament in 1988 (3-0 versus Qatar), and over 35 years later, they lost there again on Friday.

Nineteen eighty-eight was also the last time Japan had suffered consecutive defeats in the Asian Cup finals, and they will be in danger of missing the knockout stage of this tournament for the first time since that year should they lose this fixture.

Their matchday two defeat was the first time since March 2023 (2-1 loss to Colombia) that Hajime Moriyasu had not seen his side net multiple times in a single game.

Japan have not won an encounter when scoring just a single goal in 90 minutes since November 2021, when they edged Vietnam 1-0.

The Samurai Blue have finished at the top of their group in eight successive Asian Cup group stages, but that run will end if Iraq either win or draw their final group fixture versus Vietnam.

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For the first time since 2007, Indonesia have won a group fixture in this competition, putting them in a position to make the knockout stage for the very first time.

A victory on Wednesday would guarantee they achieve that feat, while it would also equal the total combined points which they accumulated in their previous two Asian Cup group stage appearances combined.

Shin Tae-yong has never lost a match to Japan in his managerial career, earning a 4-1 triumph against them in the group stage of the 2017 East Asian Football Championship while in charge of South Korea.

With just two goals after two group fixtures, Tim Garuda have already netted as many times in this competition as they had in their four previous encounters combined (two).

Two of their three victories in the group portion of this tournament occurred when they were leading at the half, while they are unbeaten on three previous occasions when in front after 45 minutes.

Indonesia have failed to find the back of the net in five of their last six meetings with Japan, winning the previous encounter in which they scored against them, in September 1981 (2-0).

Team News

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Kaoru Mitoma sat out of another encounter for Japan on matchday two because of an ankle injury, with the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder stuck on 18 appearances for the national team.

Moriyasu made two changes to his starting 11 on Friday, with Takefusa Kubo and Takuma Asano replacing Keito Nakamura and Mao Hosoya.

Zion Suzuki has had a miserable Asian Cup campaign thus far, conceding multiple goals in his last two games, while Wataru Endo has a goal involvement in each group fixture so far, scoring his first for the Samurai Blue on Friday since March 2021.

Rizky Ridho and Jordi Amat saw limited action for Indonesia on matchday two after each sustaining minor knocks in that game, while both will be questionable for this pivotal match.

Two new faces were in their starting 11 for the Indonesians on Friday, with Sandy Walsh and Egy Maulana replacing Elkan Baggott and Ridho.

Captain Asnawi Mangkualam, who was questionable before the match against Vietnam because of an injury, was the hero on Friday, converting from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute, while Ernando Ari made three stops for his first clean sheet of the tournament.

Japan possible starting lineup:
Maekawa; Sugawara, Itakura, Tomiyasu, H. Ito; Endo, Hatate; J. Ito, Kubo, Minamino; Ueda

Indonesia possible starting lineup:
Ari; Mangkualam, Walsh, Prasetyo, Hubner, Arhan; Sayuri, Jenner, Ferdinan, Sulaeman; Struick

We say: Japan 3-0 Indonesia

As well as Indonesia have played to this point of the competition, they are facing a Japanese side in a foul mood after being frustrated by Iraq, and we expect the Samurai Blue to take out those frustrations on Tim Garuda and win this contest in convincing fashion.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Joel Lefevre

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