Japan v Spain, 01 December 2022

Score2-1 to Japan
RefereeVictor Gomes
CompetitionFIFA World Cup Group E
VenueKhalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan
Attendance44,851
Kick-off: 10.00pm local (7.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Japan 24, Spain 7 . At kick-off at this final group game, all four teams in Group E were still in with a chance of progressing to the knockout stage. . To qualify for the Round of 16, Spain knew avoiding defeat would suffice. They same applied to Japan, with the proviso that – if they drew – they would also need the other group game (Costa Rica v Germany) to result in a draw. Germany won 4-2, so Japan qualified as group winners and Spain as runners-up above Germany on goal difference. . Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain were unbeaten in five preceding games at the World Cup finals against Asian opponents (won three). . Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Spain were unbeaten in their preceding seven games at the World Cup finals (won three). . Spain had won their final group game in eight of their previous nine appearances at the World Cup finals; also a 2-2 draw with Morocco in 2018. . Alvaro Morata became the second player to score in his first three appearances in the World Cup finals for Spain after Athletic Bilbao legend Telmo Zarra in 1950 in Brazil. . Japan qualified for the knockout stages at consecutive World Cup finals for the first time. . Japan became the third team to win two games at an edition of the World Cup finals despite being behind at half-time in both; also Brazil in 1938 and Germany in 1970. . Japan avoided failing to score in consecutive games at the World Cup finals for the first time since 1998. . Japan had won one and lost three of their preceding four games at World Cup tournaments. . Hajime Moriyasu became the third Japanese manager to lead his home nation into the knockout stages of a World Cup finals after Takeshi Okada in 2010 and Akira Nishino in 2018. . Spain won the only previous meeting; 1-0 with a goal from Valencia’s Rubén Baraja in a friendly played in Cordoba in April 2001. .

2  Japan

Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

1  Spain

Manager: Luis Enrique

Goals:

Ritsu Doan 48 G
Ao Tanaka 53 G

Goals:

Alvaro Morata 12 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda
Defender Ko Itakura
Defender Yūto Nagatomo
Defender Maya Yoshida (captain)
Defender/Midfielder Hidemasa Morita
Defender/Midfielder Shogo Taniguchi
Midfielder Daichi Kamada
Midfielder Ao Tanaka
Midfielder/Forward Junya Ito
Midfielder/Forward Takefusa Kubo
Midfielder/Forward Daizen Maeda

Starting lineup:

Unai Simón Goalkeeper
Alejandro Balde Defender
Pau Torres Defender
César Azpilicueta Defender/Midfielder
Rodri Defender/Midfielder
Gavi Midfielder
Pedri Midfielder
Sergio Busquets Midfielder (captain)
Dani Olmo Midfielder/Forward
Nico Williams Midfielder/Forward
Alvaro Morata Forward

Substitutions:

Ritsu Doan for Takefusa Kubo 46
Kaoru Mitoma for Yūto Nagatomo 46
Takuma Asano for Daizen Maeda 62
Takehiro Tomiyasu for Daichi Kamada 69
Wataru Endo for Ao Tanaka 87

Substitutions:

Dani Carvajal for César Azpilicueta 46
Marco Asensio for Alvaro Morata 57
Ferran Torres for Nico Williams 57
Jordi Alba for Alejandro Balde 68
Ansu Fati for Gavi 68

Cards:

Ko Itakura 39 Y
Shogo Taniguchi 44 Y
Maya Yoshida 45 Y

Cards:

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima
Goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt
Defender Hiroki Ito
Defender Hiroki Sakai
Defender Miki Yamane
Defender/Midfielder Wataru Endo
Defender/Midfielder Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielder Ritsu Doan
Midfielder Gaku Shibasaki
Midfielder Yūki Sōma
Midfielder/Forward Shuto Machino
Midfielder/Forward Takumi Minamino
Midfielder/Forward Kaoru Mitoma
Forward Takuma Asano
Forward Ayase Ueda

On the bench:

Goalkeeper David Raya
Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez
Defender Dani Carvajal
Defender Eric García
Defender Aymeric Laporte
Defender/Midfielder Jordi Alba
Defender/Midfielder Marcos Llorente
Midfielder Marco Asensio
Midfielder Koke
Midfielder Carlos Soler
Midfielder/Forward Ansu Fati
Midfielder/Forward Ferran Torres
Midfielder/Forward Pablo Sarabia
Midfielder/Forward Yeremi Pino

Comments:

Japan's second goal was initially disallowed for the ball going out of play but the decision was subsequently overturned following a VAR review.

2  Japan

Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

Goals:

Ritsu Doan 48 G
Ao Tanaka 53 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda
Defender Ko Itakura
Defender Yūto Nagatomo
Defender Maya Yoshida (captain)
Defender/Midfielder Hidemasa Morita
Defender/Midfielder Shogo Taniguchi
Midfielder Daichi Kamada
Midfielder Ao Tanaka
Midfielder/Forward Junya Ito
Midfielder/Forward Takefusa Kubo
Midfielder/Forward Daizen Maeda

Substitutions:

Ritsu Doan for Takefusa Kubo 46
Kaoru Mitoma for Yūto Nagatomo 46
Takuma Asano for Daizen Maeda 62
Takehiro Tomiyasu for Daichi Kamada 69
Wataru Endo for Ao Tanaka 87

Cards:

Ko Itakura 39 Y
Shogo Taniguchi 44 Y
Maya Yoshida 45 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima
Goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt
Defender Hiroki Ito
Defender Hiroki Sakai
Defender Miki Yamane
Defender/Midfielder Wataru Endo
Defender/Midfielder Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielder Ritsu Doan
Midfielder Gaku Shibasaki
Midfielder Yūki Sōma
Midfielder/Forward Shuto Machino
Midfielder/Forward Takumi Minamino
Midfielder/Forward Kaoru Mitoma
Forward Takuma Asano
Forward Ayase Ueda

Comments:

Japan's second goal was initially disallowed for the ball going out of play but the decision was subsequently overturned following a VAR review.

1  Spain

Manager: Luis Enrique

Goals:

Alvaro Morata 12 G

Starting lineup:

Unai Simón Goalkeeper
Alejandro Balde Defender
Pau Torres Defender
César Azpilicueta Defender/Midfielder
Rodri Defender/Midfielder
Gavi Midfielder
Pedri Midfielder
Sergio Busquets Midfielder (captain)
Dani Olmo Midfielder/Forward
Nico Williams Midfielder/Forward
Alvaro Morata Forward

Substitutions:

Dani Carvajal for César Azpilicueta 46
Marco Asensio for Alvaro Morata 57
Ferran Torres for Nico Williams 57
Jordi Alba for Alejandro Balde 68
Ansu Fati for Gavi 68

Cards:

On the bench:

Goalkeeper David Raya
Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez
Defender Dani Carvajal
Defender Eric García
Defender Aymeric Laporte
Defender/Midfielder Jordi Alba
Defender/Midfielder Marcos Llorente
Midfielder Marco Asensio
Midfielder Koke
Midfielder Carlos Soler
Midfielder/Forward Ansu Fati
Midfielder/Forward Ferran Torres
Midfielder/Forward Pablo Sarabia
Midfielder/Forward Yeremi Pino