Brazil will look to build on their win last time out when they square up against Japan in a friendly at the Ajinomoto Stadium on Tuesday.

Both Japan and Brazil have already booked their place in next summer’s World Cup, and they will be looking to fine-tune their squads when they square up against each other in their friendly.

Japan were the first team to secure a place in the World Cup finals through regional qualifiers when they beat Bahrain 2-0 back in March. The Asian outfits are all set to participate in their eighth consecutive World Cup.

The hosts are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-2 draw against Paraguay. They were nowhere close to their best and had to rely on Ayase Ueda’s 94th-minute striker to secure a draw. Japan will have to punch above their weight to stand a chance against Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil.

The visitors booked their place at the global event back in June with a 1-0 win over Paraguay. The Selecao have not been at their best at the World Cup since winning it back in 2002, and they will be hoping to go the distance next summer.

Brazil are heading into this fixture on the back of an impressive 5-0 win over South Korea. Ancelotti’s team were at their fluent best, and they will be hoping for something similar here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Japan

Japan do not have any fresh injury concerns, which means they could line up with a similar XI to the one that started in their last outing on Friday.

The home side will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Zion Suzuki will be stationed between the sticks. The back three will be made up of Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Junnosuke Suzuki and Ayumu Seko.

Junya Ito and Keito Nakamura should feature as the wing-backs, with Ao Tanaka starting alongside Kaishu Sano as the double pivot. The duo will have a lot of defending to do against the star-studded Brazil team.

Ritsu Doan and Takumi Minamino will be the two attacking midfielders behind Koki Ogawa, who will lead the line for Portugal against Hungary on Monday.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zion Suzuki; Seko, Watanabe, J Suzuki; Ito, Sano, Tanaka, Nakamura; Doan, Minamino; Ogawa

Brazil

Carlo Ancelotti also does not have any fresh injury concerns to worry about, and he could also stick with a similar XI to the one that started against South Korea. Brazil will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Bento will be in goal.

Vitinho and Andrey Santos should be the full-backs, with Eder Militao starting alongside Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of the defence.

In the centre of the park, Casemiro will partner with Bruno Guimaraes. The duo will shield the backline and ensure they control the tempo of the game.

Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior should feature on the flanks, with Matheus Cunha taking up the number ten role behind Richarlison, who is expected to be leading the line for Brazil against Japan on Monday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bento; Vitinho, Militao, Gabriel, Santos; Guimaraes, Casemiro; Rodrygo, Cunha, Vinicius Junior; Richarlison

Key Stats

• Japan are currently ranked 19th in the world and they are set to feature in their eighth straight World Cup.
• In their AFC qualifying group, the Asian outfit scored 30 goals and conceded just three in their 10 outings.
• Japan have been unbeaten at home in their last 20 outings (17 wins).
• Carlo Ancelotti’s team have kept a clean sheet in four out of the five matches since he took charge.
• The Selecao have won seven out of their nine matches against Japan.

Player to Watch

Rodrygo

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Rodrygo has struggled for prominence at Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso. While he is certainly right up there with the best attackers in the world, the 24-year-old has not been a regular starter for the Spanish club this season.

The Brazilian attacker has been involved in eight matches, but he has racked up just over 200 minutes and has only two assists to his name. However, he certainly did showcase his quality in Brazil’s last outing against South Korea. The 24-year-old bagged a brace, and he will be eager to add to his tally when he takes the field against Japan.

Prediction

Japan 1-4 Brazil

Brazil head into this fixture high on confidence after their dominant 5-0 win over South Korea, and Carlo Ancelotti will be expecting a similar display from his side. With Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Richarlison all in fine form, the Selecao possess more than enough attacking firepower to trouble Japan’s defence.

Japan, meanwhile, will need to be far more compact and disciplined than they were against Paraguay. While they have shown great spirit under Hajime Moriyasu and are tough to beat on home soil, the gulf in individual quality could be telling.

The hosts might have their moments on the break, but Brazil’s experience and depth should ultimately prove too much to handle. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges.