Colombia v Japan Betting Preview – World Cup 2018 19th June – 1.00 p.m
(Full time: 1:2 – goals: Quintero 39′ – Kagawa (P) 6′, Osako 73′)
Colombia will be well aware that there are much tougher challenges ahead in Group H at the 2018 World Cup but this game against Japan gives them a good chance of opening in a positive manner. Four years ago Los Cafeteros were the surprise package of the tournament but they don’t look quite as hot going into this summer’s edition. Still, our Colombia v Japan predictions are leaning towards the South Americans getting a victory.
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Colombia News and Form
You generally get a surprise package at every major international tournament and four years ago 2014 World Cup it was Colombia. Thanks to some fantastic goals by James Rodriguez, they produced a great group stage campaign and were ultimately sent home at the quarter finals. Four years after they don’t look to be quite the same threat as they were and they didn’t have the greatest of qualification campaigns. In it they fired off 21 goals in 18 matches which was nothing special at all, conceding at over a goal per game on average. They finished fourth in the CONMEBOL zone which was the last automatic qualification spot. There are favourites to open with three points in this Group H fixture but in our Colombia v Japan predictions, we cannot see a high-scoring game being produced. Under 2.5 goals at bet365 is at 113/20 odds* (betting odds taken on June 15, 2018 at 9:04 PM). It may well be worth considering some value in backing Colombia to complete a success with a clean sheet in this game as Japan does not look a threat.
You can’t say that Colombia are in great form because they have collected only two wins in their last nine games played, drawing five of those. Their last two international friendly matches before the World Cup both ended in 0-0 draws against Australia and Egypt. In the bet365 correct score market for Colombia v Japan predictions the 0-0 is a 13/2 odds while a Colombia 1-0 result is at 5/1 odds* (betting odds taken on June 15, 2018 at 9:04 PM). We actually like the value on the 1-0 victory for the South Americans. Looking at their current run of form it is not likely that Colombia are going to be a major scoring threat at the World Cup but still at the end of the day they can produce more attacking quality than Japan are going to be able to. Radamel Falcao is the 11/10 odds any time goalscorer favourite* (betting odds taken on June 15, 2018 at 9:04 PM) and the main supports to him will be Carlos Bacca and that man James Rodriguez.
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What can the Blue Samurai come up with in this World Cup fixture? They are underdogs and justifiable underdogs at that as it is really hard to see them coming up with three points or even one at that. A 4-2 win over Paraguay in their final World Cup warm-up match snapped a five-match winless streak of form that they were on (D1 L4). Japan have lost six of their last 10 games and have struggled in going up against average opposition in the likes of South Korea, Ukraine and Ghana. Colombia’s defence may have an easy time of things in this game and there was some further disarray for Japan ahead of the tournament when they changed managers late on. Both teams not to score at bet365 for Colombia v Japan predictions can be taken at 4/6 odds* (betting odds taken on June 15, 2018 at 9:04 PM). Japan have collected only four victories from 17 previous games at the World Cup finals. There looks a genuine chance that they will follow in the footsteps of what they produced four years ago, going home after in the group stage without a win.
Colombia v Japan Head to Head
This will be the fourth meeting between Colombia and Japan. From the previous three Colombia have come up with two victories and the other game ended in a draw. Colombia and Japan were together in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup and the South Americans produced a great 4-1 victory.
Colombia v Japan Betting Odds*
Colombia 8/11
Draw 13/5
Japan 5/1
* (Betting Odds were taken from bet365 on June 15th, 2018 at 8:06 p.m.)
Colombia v Japan Predictions
Japan are likely to come up pretty short in the Group H challenge at Russia 2018 and our predictions can see them falling to Colombia. But with Colombia not looking anything particularly special this go around, back them to win by a one-goal margin only.
