Japan W vs Spain W prediction: WORLD: World Cup Women betting tips on match 2023-07-30 07:00.
Both Japan and Spain are already through to the last 16 of the inaugural 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), and while there is every reason for this to be little more than a tune-up for the knockouts, both teams will by vying to make it through the group stage unbreached in defence, with a combined total of 15 unanswered goals so far.
Winners of the 2011 edition – and still the only Asian nation to lift the trophy – Japan (FIFA Rank: #11) are already relishing the prospect of their fourth straight knockout phase appearance. Another victory would mean the completion of a perfect group stage for the second time in three WWC finals, as well as a maiden win over Spain (D1, L3).
So too would it mark Japan’s first WWC victory over a team currently ranked inside FIFA’s top-ten since July 2015. However, Spain (#6) look well-placed to prolong that wait, with a 5-0 victory over Zambia on matchday two being their sixth straight clean-sheet victory. As such, they’ve already matched their best-ever WWC run achieved in 2019.
Jorge Vilda’s side have been imperious for some time now, with an average winning margin of nearly five goals (4.83) across Spain’s previous six victories. That is already impressive enough, but their efficiency from the first whistle has been particularly evident in this WWC edition, with La Roja leading by 2+ goals at the half-hour mark in both of their prior group games!
Players to watch: By rounding off the scoring against Costa Rica in Dunedin last time out (W 2-0), 19-year-old Aoba Fujino became the youngest Japanese player of any gender to score in a World Cup. Up in Auckland just hours later, Spain’s Jenni Hermoso registered a brace and an assist against Zambia, meaning her last 25 competitive international goals have all come during wins with accompanying clean sheets!
Hot streak: None of Japan’s previous 13 WWC group stage games have ended in a score draw.