Japan are on a Cinderella run after a spectacular showing in the group stages. Will Japan continue to weave their magic this Monday and defeat Croatia? Or will Croatia eliminate Japan to move on to the quarterfinals? Check out our preview of this Japan vs. Croatia Round of 16 match in the 2022 World Cup.
Is there a bigger story in the 2022 World Cup than Japan? Regardless of the answer, the Japanese have indeed been sensational in the tournament, managing to beat the two superpowers expected to go 1 and 2 in Group E on their way to a 2-1-0 record. Japan opened their campaign with a 2-1 shocker of a victory over Germany before losing to Croatia, 1-0. They recovered right away by taking down Spain last Thursday, 2-1. Japan are simply not scared of anyone, which should be clear after two mammoth wins. Croatia can’t be overlooked, it’s a team not entirely on the level of either Germany or Spain. Midfielder Ritsu Doan has become some sort of a game-changer for Japan, and his job on the pitch in the Spain game greatly influenced the match into favoring his side. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Japan have become the second team in history to beat both Spain and Germany in a single trip to the World Cup.
Croatia went unbeaten in the group stages, drawing with Morocco and Belgium. Their only win so far was a 4-1 demolition job of Canada. There’s no guessing game when it comes to who the best player is in Croatia, as Luka Modric is still representing the country in the grandest stage of football. Even at 37 years old, the midfielder can still provide immense playmaking in the midfield. He should play a major role for Croatia against Japan, which could be on the verge of finally breaking down. The Japanese are lucky to have reached this far, considering that they’re second-worst in the entire 2022 World Cup in possession (33.7). Croatia, meanwhile, own a 54.0 percent possession rate. Croatia is also sixth overall in the tourney with teams recording just a 21.9 shots-on-target percentage against Mordic and company.
