2018 FIFA World Cup: Japan vs Poland – Match Preview
Jun 28, 2018 at 9:42 AM
Japan will be looking to seal their place in the last sixteen when they take on Poland on Thursday.
The Asian outfit is within touching distance of reaching the knockout phase of the competition for the third time in their history. And for that, they need just a solitary point against Poland. Even a defeat could grant the Japanese a spot in the Round of 16 if the result of Colombia- Senegal game goes their way.
“Japan are not the kind of team that can aim for a point and go and carry that plan out,” said captain Makoto Hasebe.
“I think we have to focus on getting three points rather than make calculations. We have four points after two games but we haven’t accomplished anything yet.”
On the other hand, Poland will be desperate to not head home empty handed. They are already eliminated after losing their first two games. They are certain to do everything they can to make life difficult for Japan as Robert Lewandowski attempts to score his first goal in the ongoing edition.
Sportzwiki brings you all you need to know ahead of the clash between the two sides.
Venue and time:
Japan and Poland will lock horns at the Volgograd Arena, Volgograd. The action will begin at 7:30 PM IST on Thursday.
Players to look out for:
Japan – Maya Yoshida
It is safe to say that Robert Lewandowski would be desperate to get on the scoresheet in Russia. And if he gets in mood, he can cause plenty of problems for Japan. And Japan would be banking on Yoshida to keep the Bayern Munich star silent.
Poland – Arkadiusz Milik
Milik’s ineffective display in the opening loss to Senegal saw him dropped for the crunch clash against Colombia. That certainly did not help Poland, either. With only pride at stake, the forward could well get another chance to impress.
Where to watch:
The Indian fans will enjoy extensive coverage of the game. The coverage of the match will be telecasted on SONY TEN 2 SD and HD channels.
The Hindi feed will be aired on SONY TEN 3 SD and HD channels. Bengali and Malayali feed will be available on SONY ESPN SD channel.
Possible line-ups:
Japan:
Eiji Kawashima; Hiroki Sakai, Maya Yoshida, Gen Shoji, Yuto Nagatomo; Makoto Hasebe, Gaku Shibasaki; Genki Haraguchi, Shinji Kagawa, Takashi Inui; Yuya Osako
Poland:
Lukasz Fabianski; Lukas Piszczek, Kamil Glik, Jan Bednarek; Bartosz Bereszynski, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Jacek Goralski, Maciej Pybus; Piotr Zielinski, Robert Lewandowski, Kamil Grosicki
Follow live score on Sportzwiki.