Bahrain and Japan will face off in the round of 16 of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup on Wednesday (January 31) at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Despite opening the season with a 3-1 loss to South Korea, Bahrain finished in first place in Group E with six points from five games. In the next two games, the Pearl Divers won 1-0 against Malaysia and Jordan, while South Korea drew their next two games and fell to second place.
Bahrain advanced to the Asian Cup finals for the second year in a row, having been eliminated in the first round the previous three times.
On the other hand, surprisingly, Japan came in second place in a group that included Iraq, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Samurai Blue, ranked 17th in the world and the highest in the cup, opened the season by defeating Vietnam 4-2, but lost 2-1 to Iraq, which gained momentum in the second round.
Although it was a shocking loss, the team led by coach Hajime Moriyasu bounced back and defeated Indonesia 3-1 in the final group match, clinching a place in the final tournament.
Bahrain vs Japan match and important numbers
- In the 12 meetings so far, Japan has won 9 times and lost only 2 times.
- Bahrain last defeated Japan in January 2009, winning 1-0 in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Since then, Japan has won twice, 1-0 in March 2009 and 2-0 in March 2010.
- Japan and Bahrain will hold talks for the first time in almost 14 years.
- Japan has lost only one of their last 13 games and won 12.
- Japan was the team with the most points in the group stage, along with Iraq and South Korea, with eight points.
- Bahrain won their next two games after losing four in a row.
Bahrain vs Japan prediction
Bahrain will be confident with back-to-back wins. Their defense looks resilient as they try to contain Japan’s threatening attacks. However, Samurai Blue is cut from a different fabric, so it should have an edge, albeit narrower.
prediction: Bahrain 1-2 Japan
Bahrain vs Japan betting tips
Tip 1 – Result: Japan
Tip 2 – Aim for more than/less than 2.5: More than 2.5
Tip 3 – Both teams score: Yes
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