Belgium VS Japan Match Prediction

Belgium have only won one of their five previous matches, but that win did come in their most recent match – a friendly in November when Romelu Lukaku scored the only goal of the game. Prior to that, Japan had won their last two friendlies, 4-0 in 2009 and 3-2 in November 2013. The two nations drew 2-2 in their only previous World Cup fixture, in Japan in 2002, having also drawn their only other friendly 0-0 back in 1999.

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Belgium vs Japan Stats

 Belgium are unbeaten in 22 matches, a run stretching back to their first friendly after Euro 2016

 Belgium have already beaten Japan once in the last 12 months – a 1-0 win in November 2017, their only previous victory against the Japanese

 Romelu Lukaku has scored seven of Belgium’s last 16 goals.

 Japan have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last ten matches

Belgium vs Japan Betting Tips

Belgium finished top of Group G with three wins from three matches and with an unbeaten run stretching back to 2016 it is hard to see them not beating Japan.

Japan have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last ten games, so the likes of Romelu Lukaku should be licking his lips in anticipation of adding a few more goals in his charge for the golden boot.

Lukaku has already scored four from two games and has seven of Belgium’s last 16, and his height and power should be far too much for the Japanese defence, who have looked vulnerable throughout the tournament.

Japan’s own leading striker, Shinji Okazaki, is injured again – having already started the tournament on the bench due to fitness issues – and with Belgium back at full strength at the back, the Japanese might struggle to even create much.

They were fortunate that Colombia were down to ten men for almost all of their opening fixture – though they took advantage well to win 2-1 – but it has become obvious since that 11v11 would have made for a very different story.

With a vulnerable defence up against one of the most potent attacking line-ups in the tournament, who have not been beaten for nearly two years and have scored for fun in recent matches (apart from against England, when they rested players) you can not see this match ending any other way.

Belgium should beat Japan and score a few goals in the process too – as they did against Panama and Tunisia.

Belgium vs Japan Recommended bets with odds

Belgium are 2/5 to beat Japan on Monday with Bet365, Betway, Ladbrokes and Betfair and it is hard to see anything but a Red Devils win.

Belgium are back to full strength in defence too, and a Belgium win to nil is 11/10 with Ladbrokes. You can bet against both teams to score at 4/6 with Betfair. Belgium are 4/11 to score first with Ladbrokes, meanwhile.

Romelu Lukaku is 4/5 with Bet365 to add to his four goals by scoring at any time against Japan.

Belgium have scored plenty of goals of late, meanwhile, and over 2.5 goals in Monday’s last-16 tie will return 19/20 with Bet365, Ladbrokes, Betway and Betfair.

You can also back a winning margin of three goals – the same they beat Panama and Tunisia by in the group stages – at 11/2 with Betfair, Paddy Power and 10Bet.

Belgium vs Japan Top three bets

1) Belgium to win to nil at 11/10 with Ladbrokes
2) Both teams to score = “no” at 4/6 with Betfair
3) Romelu Lukaku to score at any time at 4/5 with Bet365

Belgium vs Japan Prediction

Belgium should have far too much attacking strength for a Japanese defence that has looked vulnerable despite qualifying for the last-16 stage. With Romelu Lukaku fit again, they should win and win comfortably.

Correct score prediction: Belgium 3-0 Japan

Correct score best odds: 17/2 (10Bet)

Belgium Team News

Romelu Lukaku was ruled out of the final group game with an ankle injury but manager Roberto Martinez insisted he was only one day away from returning to fitness. After missing the first two matches, Martinez also gave playing time to defensive duo Thomas Vermaelen and Vincent Kompany with at least one set to slot in against Japan with Belgium back to full strength.

Belgium Key Players

Romelu Lukaku (striker) – Scored four goals in first two games and is now a serious golden boot contender.

Eden Hazard (winger) – Two goals against Tunisia took him to 24 in 88 international appearances before he was rested against England.

Kevin de Bruyne (central midfielder) – The creative heart of Manchester City’s record-breaking Premier League title win and a key cog in the Belgian system

Belgium Group stage round up

Belgium 3-0 Panama
Belgium 5-2 Tunisia
Belgium 1-0 England

Belgium topped Group G with three wins from three, having already guaranteed qualification for the last-16 stage after two matches. They beat debutants Panama in their first game thanks to three second-half goals – a Dries Mertens strike and two from Romelu Lukaku. That was followed by a 5-2 thrashing of Tunisia, with Lukaku again scoring twice and Eden Hazard adding two more before Michy Batshuayi’s late goal. They then rested players against a similarly second-string England team and Adnan Januzaj scored the only goal of the game.

Belgium Team Form 

Having not lost since August 2016, Belgium football team have also now won five matches in a row having beaten Egypt 3-0 and Costa Rica 4-1 in their final two World Cup warm-up matches. Their thre egroup stage wins followed to ensure a goalless draw with Portugal is the only match Belgium have not won in their last eight games.

Belgium Predicted Starting Line up

Expected Line up: 3-4-3

Japan Team News

Having stuck with the same starting XI for their first two matches, Japan rotated their options to face Poland. They are likely to revert back to their original XI, however, not least because striker Shinji Okazaki hobbled off injured on his first start of the tournament. Yuya Osako will therefore start up front.

Japan Key Players

Shinji Kagawa (attacking midfielder) – Scored his 31st Japanese goal against Colombia, having also netted in the win against Paraguay – and grabbed two assists in that game

Takashi Inui (winger) – Scored twice against Paraguay in Japan’s final warm-up match, and then added a goal and an assist against Senegal

Keisuke Honda (attacking midfielder) – Veteran midfielder has featured twice from the bench, and made a telling impact with his goal against Senegal

Japan Group stage round up

Japan 2-1 Colombia
Japan 2-2 Senegal
Japan 0-1 Poland

Japan team kicked off their World Cup by beating Colombia 2-1 – a match their opponents played 87 minutes of with ten men. A 2-2 draw with Senegal followed to keep them top of the group, thanks to Keisuke Honda’s equaliser, before their 1-0 defeat to Poland. Knowing they were through as it stood, the final game ended slightly farcically, with Japan passing the ball around the defence and Poland not attacking.

Team Form

After a mini revival of three games without defeat – having gone five without a win before that – Japan lost again in their final group game, meaning they have won just two of their last nine matches. Those wins came against Paraguay in their final friendly – Takashi Inui netting twice in a 4-2 win – and their opening World Cup match against ten-man Colombia. A draw against Senegal and narrow defeat to Poland were just enough to see them reach the last 16.

Japan Predicted Starting Line up

Expected Line up: 4-2-3-1

Despite resting players to face England in their final group game, Belgium did enough to finish in top spot with an unblemished record from their first three matches. Now, with their best players set to return and Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen all fit again, they will be formidable opposition for Japan, who scraped through Group H to join them in the last-16. The Red Devils should win, and win well.

Belgium are now unbeaten in their last 22 matches - they have not lost since a friendly defeat to Spain in August 2016.