Japan vs Paraguay, Olympics Football 2024, Today Match Prediction

Japan vs Paraguay Match Prediction & Analysis

Following the completion of the first round of matches in other groups, Group D matchups will begin on Wednesday at Bordeaux's Matmut Atlantique stadium, with Japan against Paraguay. Japan, a one-time medalist at the 1968 games in Mexico, qualified for Paris through the U-23 AFC Asian Cup, which was staged in Qatar earlier this year. They won the competition, defeating Uzbekistan 1-0 in the final. 

Likewise, Paraguay booked their ticket to Paris by winning the 2024 edition of the U-23 CONMEBOL pre-Olympic tournament held at Venezuela. They defeated Argentina in the final by a margin of 2-0. Japan, coached by Go Oiwa will be appearing for the 12 time in the tournament, while Paraguay, managed by Jara Saguier will be making their third appearance at the event after a gap of 20 years. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Japan Preview

The Blue Samurai have been a constant presence at the games for a time now, aiming to set a record of eight straight appearances at the tournament, which no other team can match in Paris. It will also be their 12th appearance in the quadrennial event, surpassing only Italy, the United States, Brazil, France, and Egypt. Not having won a medal since 1968 in Mexico, the team led by Go Oiwa, is considered the favourites to finish on the podium this time around.

The Blue Samurai, led by Go Oiwa, have done well in the lead-up to the tournament, winning the AFC Championship and drawing their most recent match against a highly regarded French club. Given a strong group of young players at his disposal, particularly in the midfield, where Joel Fujita and Rihito Yamamoto are anticipated to hold their own, this team could make it all the way to the finals.

Aside from quality midfielders, the Blue Samurai feature creativity and quickness on the flanks, which are supplemented by attacking full-backs. However, this team lacks overage experience in the squad since they will field an all-U-23 team for the first time since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Despite having a solid core of young players, the Japanese team will be without their best player, Kubo Takefusa, who was denied permission owing to commitments with his club, Real Sociedad. Nevertheless, Oiwa is expected to line up his eleven in an attacking formation and is likely to field a 4-3-3 formation in the tournament. 

Japan Probable Starting XI: Kokubo; Sekine, Takai, Kimura, Handa; Fujita, Yamamoto, Mito; Fujio, Hosoya, Hirakawa

Paraguay Preview

Paraguay has only competed in the games twice, yet both times they left an indelible impression. They advanced past the group stage on both occasions, and in 2004 in Athens, they won a silver under the tutelage of head coach Carlos Jara Saguier. Once again, he is back at the helm with hopes of reclaiming the lost glory.  

After taking over the reins of the side in October of last year, Saguier led Los Guaranies to a triumphant CONMEBOL campaign early this year, capturing the title ahead of the much fancied Argentinian team and current gold medalist, Brazil. A proponent of the philosophy "keep it simple, play quick, and direct football," Saguier has a crop of young players that might make Los Guaranies the tournament's dark horses. 

Among that group,Diego Gomez will be the one to keep an eye out for. The 21-year-old midfielder from Inter Miami finished the CONMEBOL as one of the top scorers, while finishing with five goals and two assists. And Saguier's tactics will revolve around Diego Gomez in the middle in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 

Paraguay Probable Starting XI: Fernandez; Flores, Balbuena, De Jesus; Nunez, Viera, Gomez, Rivas; D. Gonzalez, Enciso, E. Gonzalez

JAPAN vs PARAGUAY
Winning Prediction

Despite their CONMEBOL triumph, Paraguay hasn't had a great 2024 leading up to the Olympics. In their last seven games, Los Guaranies have won just once, drawn one, and lost five. Meanwhile, Japan remains undefeated since April, their last loss coming against South Korea in the AFC U23 Championship. 

Meanwhile, the Paraguayan coach has made it clear that he wants the team to play quick and direct football. However, this approach carries risks, as it could cede possession and scoring opportunities to the opposition. This is evident by their leaky defense, conceding 14 goals in their last seven games. Against a team like Japan, this tactic could be a recipe for disaster. Thus, we expect a high-scoring clash and favor a comprehensive win for Japan.

Japan U-23 to Win (2-1)

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