World champions Spain takes on Asian juggernauts Japan in a thrilling clash of the Olympics 2024 Women’s Football Tournament opener.
SPA-W vs JAP-W Match Details
Date: Thursday, 25 July 2024
Time: 17:00 (CET), 20:30 (IST)
Venue: Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
SPA-W vs JAP-W Match Preview
It has been a sensational few years for Spain football in general with their men’s and women’s teams earning the highest honour on the international stage, the senior teams winning the 2023 Women’s World Cup and Euro 2024 with other age-group level success. They will want to continue their breathtaking dominance by winning the Gold at the Paris Olympics with the women’s side best placed to do so. Headed by Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, the team is eyeing a three-peat within a year after their success in Australia and winning the inaugural Nations League in February booking the ticket to Paris. La Roja are making their debut in the Olympics and will want to make the occasion special at any cost. However, being placed in a group of death with Japan, Brazil and Nigeria could make their job difficult. Their first-ever Olympic game will pin them against the Asian giants whom they suffered their only loss in the Women’s World Cup. Winning 16 of the preceding 18 games will give Spain the confidence to seek revenge and send a statement again.
The huge 4-0 win registered by Japan was the tip of the sensational performances the team showed in the Women’s World Cup. The fiery attack and rock-solid defence made them the favourites to win the competition but their bulldozing winning streak ended in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 loss to Sweden. The team regained momentum and secured a sixth Olympic appearance by staying unbeaten in seven available qualifying matches with six wins and just one goal conceded. The Nadeshiko also scored 13 goals in the period with their goalless draw against North Korea the only time they failed to find the net in a year. Even though the team did not perform adequately in the She Believes Cup hosted in the USA, Futoshi Ikeda has faith in his side to deliver in the Olympics 2024 shaking off their 1-1 draw with Colombia in the last warm-up friendly match. Japan has struggled a bit this year with just four wins managed from eight games but they will bank on their mentality and free-flowing football to start on a high.
Recent Form (all competitions)
SPA-W: WWWLW
JAP-W: DWWWD
SPA-W vs JAP-W Predicted Lineups
Spain
Coll; Batlle, Codina, Aleixandri, Carmona; Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas; Caldentey, Hermoso, Paralluelo
Japan
Yamashita; Shimizu, Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami, Kitagawa; Miyazawa, Hasegawa, Nagano, Fujino; Tanaka
SPA-W vs JAP-W Dream11 Match Prediction
Spain should be able to take revenge against Japan being a different team this time. Nadeshiko has dropped from their high technical football a bit and recent inconsistency might catch up with the side. Therefore, we predict an entertaining game with a 2-1 win for La Roja.
SPA-W vs JAP-W Dream11 Team Top picks
Captain Pick: Aitana Bonmati
Vice-captain Picks: Salma Paralluelo
SPA-W vs JAP-W Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Yamashita (Cr - 7)
DEF: Shimizu (Cr - 8.5), Battle (Cr - 9), Carmona (Cr - 7.5)
MID: Putellas (Cr - 9), Hasegawa (Cr - 9), Bonmati (Cr - 9), Hermoso (9)
FW: Caldentey (Cr - 8), Fujino (Cr - 9), Paralluelo (9),
Vice-captain: Salma Paralluelo
Captain: Aitana Bonmati
