Saudi Arabia vs Japan Preview
- Tournament: FIFA World Cup Qualification
- Date: 10th October 2024
- Time: 17:00 UTC
- Venue: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium
As the club fixtures are going to a halt, the international fixtures are all about jam-packed entertainment. From AFCON to Nations League and even World Cup Qualifiers, there are lots to see and none to miss. So feast your eyes on the greatest International fixtures coming your way this October.
The 2024/25 Nations League fixtures have already started on 5th September 2024. It will end next year on 8th June 2025. From 10th to 15th October, action returns back on the world stage and on your television. October 10th is also hosting some of the toughest AFC fixtures. One of the matches to be excited about is when Saudi Arabia takes on Japan.
If we take a look at the biggest and most recent highlights of the two countries, Saudi Arabia has upset the World Cup winners Argentina in their first fixture of the World Cup in Qatar. On the other hand, Japan never fails to amaze us with its performance. Last year particularly, they were pretty much the comeback kings. They have made the big teams run for their money. Led by Wataru Endo, Japan is a real threat in the grandest stages right now.
Saudi Arabia National Football Team News
Sunday, the team was seen practicing for their crucial World Cup qualifying matches at Jeddah. They have two key matches this October. One is when they face the mighty Japan and the other one is 5 days later when they face Bahrain. The King Abdullah Sports City Stadium will host both of these matches.
The head coach Roberto Mancini has called up 28 players that feature some of the top names like Firas Al-Buraikan and Dawsari along with others. The team is in the Group C and are in the third phase. They are facing strong competition from their group against Japan, China, Australia along with others.
Japan National Football Team News
In a total of 9 head-to-head clashes, Japan has won 5 times whereas Saudi has taken 4 wins. The upcoming Saudi Arabia vs Japan match is a crucial one. Moriyasu Hajime has big plans for the Samurai Blue. We have already seen many glimpses of Japan schooling the national teams in the grandest of stages. And every time they come back in the competitions, they seem to be better than the last time. And we should not expect anything else.
Here are the players that might be featured for a couple of fixtures this October. The three goalkeepers are OSAKO Keisuke, TANI Kosei, and SUZUKI Zion. The defenders are NAGATOMO Yuto, TANIGUCHI Shogo ,ITAKURA Kou, MACHIDA Koki, SEKO Ayumu, SUGAWARA Yukinari, MOCHIZUKI Henry Heroki, and TAKAI Kota.
From Wataru Endo, Minamino, and Mitoma to Takefusa Kubo and ITO, there are a lot of midfield and forward options for the Samurai Blue.
Saudi Arabia vs Japan predicted lineups
Saudi Arabia national football team predicted lineup (4-4-2)
Goalkeeper: Mohammed Khalil AL Owais
Defenders: Hassan AL Tambakti, Ali Lajami, Hassan Kadesh, Saud Abdulhamid
Midfielders: Abdulelah AL Malki, Nasser Aldawsari, Mohamed Kanno, Salem Al Dawsari
Forwards: Abdullah Al-Hamddan, Firas AL Birakan
Japan national football team predicted lineup (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Zion Suzuki
Defenders: Ko Itakura, Koki Machida, Shogo Taniguchi.
Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Daichi Kamada, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Kaoru Mitoma, Minamino, Ayase Ueda
Saudi Arabia vs Japan H2H record
It is pretty equal between these two when it comes to the head-to-head clashes. The Samurai Blues will look forward to getting a win while Saudi Arabia will try to even out the winning tally.
| Date | Match | Competition |
| 2022/02/01 | Japan 2 – 0 Saudi Arabia | World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 2021/10/07 | Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan | World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 2019/01/21 | Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia | Asian Cup |
| 2017/09/05 | Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan | World Cup qualification (AFC) |
| 2016/11/15 | Japan 2-1 Saudi Arabia | World Cup qualification (AFC) |
Key players to watch out for in Saudi Arabia vs Japan
Mitoma (Japan)
If there is one winger that the Premier League still hasn’t been accustomed to, it’s Mitoma. He has made the big guys in the League like Van Dijk, Saliba, and others make a run for their money. With his agility and dexterity, he has been an integral part of his club. With Japan’s experienced midfield and the partnership between Minamino and Mitoma, the wings are a real threat to Saudi Arabia.
Salem Al Dawsari (Saudi Arabia)
We have seen him during the World Cup. A player so hardworking and persistent, it is no wonder why he is the difference maker of the team. While Japan’s defensive mid and experienced backline is a crucial factor of the game, it won’t be a surprise to see Al Dawsari breaking in between the lines to show the ball the back of the Japanese net.
Saudi Arabia vs Japan prediction
Both of the team has the upper hand over the other if they can play their cards right. We have seen the previous stats and the goal margin is never too high. However, with Japan being the comeback king of Asia, we can expect a second-half dominance that can overwhelm Saudi Arabia.
Predicted score: Saudi Arabia 0-1 Japan
Also Read: Israel vs France Prediction, Preview, Lineups and Team News | Nations League | October 10, 2024
Where to watch Saudi Arabia vs Japan live?
| Country | Where to watch |
| India | Star Sports, Fancode |
| UK | Sky Sports, TNT sports |
| Saudi Arabia | APwin |
| Japan | DAZN |
FAQ’s
When is Saudi Arabia vs Japan?
This World Cup qualifier match is on 10th October, 2024.
Where can you watch Saudi Arabia vs Japan for free?
DirecTV Stream will telecast live streaming of the match.
What is the predicted score for Saudi Arabia vs Japan?
The predicted score for Saudi Arabia vs Japan is 0-1.
What is the recent head-to-head record between Saudi Arabia vs Japan?
The recent record between Saudi Arabia vs Japan is Japan winning 2-0.