Sabasports Match Preview
World Cup: Netherlands vs Japan
Kickoff Time: 2026-6-15 4:00 (HKT)
The Netherlands has long been hailed by the world as the “Uncrowned King”—a title that embodies praise and recognition of their strength, yet also the regret of never claiming major international tournament honours. Under the stewardship of Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands deploy a 4-3-3 formation, with a backline setup featuring two centre-backs flanked by left and right full-backs forming his core tactical blueprint. Virgil van Dijk is set to occupy the left centre-back berth, while Jan Paul van Hecke is likely to partner him on the right. On the full-back positions, Denzel Dumfries is almost certain to start on the right flank, whereas the left-back spot will be contested between Nathan Aké and Micky van de Ven. The Dutch midfield is fraught with tactical dilemmas. First-choice midfielders including Ryan Gravenberch, Teun Koopmeiners and Tijjani Reijnders are all well-rounded box-to-box players with remarkably similar playing styles, leaving Koeman uncertain over who should take on primary playmaking responsibilities. In stark contrast to their deep defensive and midfield talent pool, the Netherlands suffer from a shortage of quality options in attacking areas, leaving the side lacking offensive firepower. Cody Gakpo’s ability to cut inside from wide will be pivotal to the team’s attacking efficiency. However, Gakpo has registered a shot conversion rate of just 8.4% for Liverpool this campaign, ranking dead last across the Premier League.
Japan’s squad for this World Cup is almost entirely composed of players plying their trade across European leagues, boasting an array of elite talent. Ever since Hajime Moriyasu took charge as head coach, Japan have settled into a distinct tactical identity. The manager maximises the side’s strengths in relentless running and precise passing, utilising a versatile range of formations to exercise meticulous control over both attacking and defensive phases. Throughout the build-up to the United States, Canada and Mexico World Cup, Moriyasu has extensively drilled counter-attacking tactics built around a three-centre-back system, designed to counter top-tier opponents on the world stage. Within the 3-4-2-1 framework, Japan seek to stretch pitch space through fluid interplay between shadow strikers and wing-backs. Takefusa Kubo and Junya Itō boast an established attacking partnership down the right flank, while Keito Nakamura will step into the void left by Kaoru Mitoma to link up with Daichi Kamada on the left. Furthermore, the striker position represents Japan’s most notable area of improvement compared to their squad four years ago. Ayase Ueda netted 25 goals in the latest Eredivisie season to claim the Golden Boot by a comfortable margin. He is not only Moriyasu’s ideal number-nine frontman but also the clinical finisher Japan have long craved to lead their attacking line.
While the Netherlands hold a greater global reputation than Japan, it is unrealistic to expect the Dutch to dominate their opponents through sheer strength alone. The Netherlands are noticeably thin on attacking talent, whereas Japan have enjoyed impressive form in recent friendly fixtures, securing successive victories over Scotland, England and Iceland. The Samurai Blue have built up substantial psychological confidence when facing European opposition. All factors considered, Japan’s well-balanced defensive and attacking structure makes them the favoured side to pick up points in this fixture.
Netherlands ‘s Last 5 Games: WLDWW
26-06-09 Netherlands 2-1 Uzbekistan
26-06-04 Netherlands 0-1 Algeria
26-04-01 Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador
26-03-28 Netherlands 2-1 Norway
25-11-18 Netherlands 4-0 Lithuania
Japan ‘s Last 5 Games: WWWWW
26-05-31 Japan 1-0 Iceland
26-04-01 England 0-1 Japan
26-03-29 Scotland 0-1 Japan
26-11-18 Japan 3-0 Bolivia
25-11-14 Japan 2-0 Ghana
Head-To-Head Record
13-11-16 Netherlands 2-2 Japan
10-06-19 Netherlands 1-0 Japan
09-09-05 Netherlands 3-0 Japan
08-08-13 Netherlands 1-0 Japan
Prediction: Japan to win away or the match to end in a draw