Japan should have the ball and Tunisia should be set up to frustrate, stay compact, and attack the spaces left behind Japan’s wing-backs and advanced press. Japan’s width and speed through **Daizen Maeda** and the center-forward options **Keisuke Goto** and **Koki Ogawa** should test Tunisia’s back line, while Tunisia’s best outlet is likely the left side through **Ali Abdi**, **Mortadha Ben Ouanes**, and **Sebastian Tounekti** in transition. The decisive battles are Japan’s rest defense versus Tunisia’s counterattacks, plus whether Tunisia can survive Japan’s first wave and make the game a set-piece or low-event contest. With Japan priced as the clear favorite, the matchup tilts toward the team that wins second balls and converts its few clear chances first.
