Out of a few Asian countries who made it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Japan is among the fan favorites. Carrying the hopes of 127 million people, the Japan national team will be looking forward, living up to the hopes of those 127 million people. Japan will face Colombia today as their first campaign of the tournament.
Undoubtedly, Colombia is a strong team than Japan, having a good history in the World Cup. But the battle keeps going until the final whistle blows, and one never knows what will happen over the 90 minutes of footballing action.
World Cup is the biggest footballing stage for any nation, and it undoubtedly will be foolish for any nation to take their opponent as an underdog. So, which country will live up to the expectation?
Colombia Vs Japan: Kick-off time, Venue & Channel
Colombia will take on Japan today with kick-off time scheduled at 1 PM BST/8 PM ET. The game will be played at Mordovia Arena. The game will be televised live on BBC and viewers can stream the match online via the BBC iPlayer.
Possible Line-up
Colombia
Goal Keeper: David Ospina
Defenders: Davinson Sanchez, Johan Mojica, Yerry Mina, Santiago Arias
Midfielders: Abel Aguilar, James Rodriguez, Carlos Sanchez, Juan Cuadrado
Forwards: Luis Muriel, Radamel Falcao
Players to watch: James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao
Japan
Goal Keeper: Eiji Kawashima
Defenders: Tomoaki Makino, Hiroki Sakai, Yuto Nagatomo, Maya Yoshida
Midfielders: Takashi Inui, Keisuke Honda, Gaku Shibasaki, Makoto Hasebe
Forwards: Genki Haraguchi, Yuya Osako
Players to watch: Genki Haraguchi, Takashi Inui
Predictions
Colombia is the only team in Group H which advanced through the Group Stage in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Colombia made it to the Quarter-final in 2014, securing the 5th position at the tournament. Colombia will take on Japan with an edge out of its experience, while Japan will take their chance up for an early good start at the group stage.
Playerswiki prediction
Colombia Vs Japan: 2-1
Betting Odds
Colombia is posted at -150, means one needs to bet $150 to earn $100 on a Colombian victory, while Japan is at +475 - one can earn $475 at a risk of $100. A draw is at $255.