Japan vs Croatia LIVE: Samurai Blue look to continue journey in last 16

Samurai Blue beat former world champions Germany and Spain in the group stage to progress as unlikely group winners.

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Hajime Moriyasu's men head into this game after a 2-1 win against La Roja with goals coming from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka.

As for Croatia, their draw against Belgium knocked the Red Devils out as they claimed the runners-up spot in Group F.

Luka Modric and co have drawn two of their three games so far 0-0, with their only win coming against Canada.

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The winner of this huge clash will face Brazil or South Korea in the World cup quarter-finals.

Japan vs Croatia: talkSPORT coverage

This World Cup last-16 clash will take place on Monday, November 5.

The match at the Al Janoub Stadium will kick off at 3pm.

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Commentary will be provided by Nigel Adderley and former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino.

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Japan vs Croatia: Squads

Japan squad

Goalkeepers: Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt, Eiji Kawashima

Defenders: Miki Yamane, Hiroki Sakai, Maya Yoshida, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Yuta Nakayama

Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Ao Tanaka, Gaku Shibasaki, Kaoru Mitoma, Daichi Kamada, Ritsu Doan, Junya Ito, Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo, Yuki Soma

Forwards: Daizen Maeda, Takuma Asano, Ayase Ueda

Croatia squad

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Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Ivica Ivusic, Ivo Grbic

Defenders : Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren, Borna Barisic, Josip Juranovic, Josko Gvardiol, Borna Sosa, Josip Stanisic, Martin Erlic, Josip Šutalo

Midfielders : Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Mario Pasalić, Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Kristijan Jakic, Luka Sucic

Forwards : Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Bruno Petkovic, Mislav Orsic, Ante Budimir, Marko Livaja

Japan vs Croatia: Match facts

No player has scored more goals for Croatia at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros) than Ivan Perisic (9, level with Davor Suker), while Perisic has more such assists than any player for the nation (7). Indeed, at the 2022 World Cup, no player has had more shots for Croatia than Perisic (5), while only Mateo Kovacic (5) has created more chances for them than Perisic (4).

Takuma Asano attempted more shots than any Japan player in the 2022 World Cup group stage (8), despite the fact he didn't start any of their three games. Asano had a shot every 13 minutes on average.

Three of Japan's four goals scored at the 2022 World Cup have been by substitutes, the most ever in a single edition by an Asian nation (excl. own goals). Ritsu Doan has scored two of those goals; only three players have ever scored 3+ goals as a substitute at a single World Cup - André Schürrle in 2014 (3), Roger Milla in 1990 (4), and Laszlo Kiss in 1982 (3).

Croatia failed to score in two of their three group stage games at this World Cup; they had only drawn a blank in two of 13 matches at the tournament in the 2006, 2014 and 2018 editions combined before this.

Japan averaged just 32.3% possession across their three group stage games at this World Cup. Their two wins over Spain and Germany came with 17.7% and 26.1% possession respectively, while their one defeat came to Costa Rica in a match in which they had 56.8% possession.

Croatia have only lost two of their eight knockout stage games at the World Cup (W4 D2), while they also progressed from the two such games that finished as draws on penalties, both in 2018 (v Denmark in the round of 16, Russia in the quarter-final).

This will be Croatia's third appearance in the round of 16 at the World Cup, while they progressed from this stage in both previous such instances, beating Romania 1-0 in 1998 and Denmark on penalties in 2018.

Japan have reached the last 16 of the World Cup for a fourth time, including both of the last two editions. However, they have never progressed from this stage, going out to Turkey in 2002, Paraguay (on penalties) in 2010, and Belgium in 2018. The only Asian nations to reach the World Cup quarter-finals were DPR Korea in 1966 and Korea Republic in 2002.

Japan have won both of their 2022 World Cup matches against European nations, 2-1 wins over Spain and Germany in the group stage. They had only won two of their first 10 World Cup matches against European sides before this year (D3 L5).

This will be the third World Cup meeting between Japan and Croatia, with Japan winless and goalless in the previous two - a 0-1 defeat in 1998 and a goalless draw in 2006, both in the group stage. Those two matches are Croatia's only previous World Cup games against an Asian nation.

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