Our prediction for this match:
National Olympic Stadium will host Monday’s friendly between Japan and Brazil, the two teams who have not meet in a warm-up game since November 2017. Back then Brazil outplayed Japan 3-1 at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and Tite’s men are seen as favourites to beat the Samurai Blue in Tokyo as well. A man to watch in the away team will be Neymar, who scored a brace in a 5-1 crushing of South Korea.
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior and Liverpool midfielder Fabinho are both likely to return to the starting XI, with Man City ace Gabriel Jesus pushing for a start as well. Japan rolled over Paraguay 4-1 in their last friendly match, but they will have a big fish to fry in Monday’s friendly. Given Brazil’s display in the crushing of Korea Republic, which is yet another reason why away win should be considered. Takumi Minamino was rested against Paraguay, but the Liverpool forward should play some part in the National Olympic Stadium clash.
Highlighted Player (Hiroki Sakai):
Hiroki Sakai is a product of Kashiwa Reysol football academy and, as expected, he made his first-team debut with the Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium outfit. Sakai played his first ever match for Kashiwa against Kofu (1-1) on May 5, 2010 and during the 2011 season he established himself as a first-team regular.
The pacey right back made 27 appearances for Kashiva in the 2011 season and he remained at the club until the summer of 2012. Hiroki Sakai then played for Hannover (2012-2016) and he scored two goals in 92 appearances in the league for the Bundesliga club. In 2016 he joined Marseille and he played regularly for OM in the 2016/2017 Ligue 1 campaign (35 appearances).
Sakai was born in Kashiva on April 12, 1990 and 22 years later he made his senior debut for Japan, playing 45 minutes in a 2-0 win over Azerbaijan. It has to be noted that the Marseille footballer has 17 caps for Japan U23 team as well.
Highlighted Team (Brazil):
One of the most decorated teams in world football, Selecao have also been regarded as one of the most attractive and exciting teams with glowing reputation preceding them. Members of the CONMEBOL confederation, Brazil have played their first international in 1914 losing to bitter rivals Argentina with a comfortable 3-0 margin.
Brazil is the most successful nation in the FIFA World Cup with five championship title to their name. However, Selecao failed to advance past the quarter-finals of the last two tournaments last winning their World Cup in 2002. Their last title was the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the star-studded team will be looking to get back to winning ways at this year’s historic Copa America Centenario in the United States.
Legendary Pele is Brazil’s top scorer with 77 goals to his name, while the team’s biggest star of the modern era Barcelona forward Neymar is sitting in fifth place having so far netted 46.