Japan vs Spain Final Scores, Highlights, 2022 World Cup Group E Match Results

Both Japan and Spain have plenty to play for as they occupy the top two spots in Group E’s final game, which looks set to see them through to the next round. Only the top two teams in each World Cup group will advance to the Round of 16.

Spain wants to finish as group winners, and a win would be close to first place. The draw could work if Costa Rica draws or loses against Germany.

Japan know they’re out with a loss to Spain, and even a draw won’t be enough if Germany pads their goal difference with a big win against Costa Rica. Going for the win comes with an added advantage for Japan: they will overtake Spain for the top spot and face Group F’s runners-up in the knockout stages.

More:

Japan Squad World Cup 2022 Qatar

Spain Squad World Cup 2022 Qatar

Japan vs Spain Live Score

Goals:

SPA – Alvaro Morata – 11 min

JAP – Doan – 41 min

JAP – Tanaka – 51 min

Estimated lineups:

Japan (4-5-1, right to left): 12-Gonda (GK) — 2-Yamane, 4-Itakura, 22-Yoshida, 5-Nagatamo — 14-J. Ito, 17-Tanaka, 15-Kamada, 13-H. Morita, 11-Kubo – 25-Maeda

Spain (4-3-3, right to left): 23-Simone (GK) — 20-Carvajal, 3-Garcia, 24-Laporte, 18-Alba — 8-Koke, 5-Busquets, 26-Pedri — 10- Asensio, 7-Morata, 11-Torres

Japan vs Spain Live Updates, 2022 World Cup Highlights

Full-time: Japan 2-1 Spain
Japan are the surprise machine of this tournament, and they have ensured that Germany are out of the World Cup in the group stage for the second tournament in a row. From the beginning of the second half, Japan had an excellent performance. Doan made all the difference, as did the second goal, when the ball was deemed to have crossed the line. We have yet to see what VAR has come up with. Controversy reigns, but Japan wins the group. They were very well done.

90+7 mins: Huge cheers as Gonda gets the ball and takes his time with it. Spain seem happy to hold the ball now. Boo as they mount one final attack. When the ball is cleared and that’s it…Japan has done it.

90+5 mins: Spain still pushing for this one, by the way. Japan defended so well but fell short of launching it with no one up to chase the ball down.

90 mins: As it stands: Spain and Japan go through. There are seven more minutes.

84 min: It almost goes wide and Carvajal has to run all the way back to clear the danger. Simon had one sub-optimal position each. Spain will have to chuck everything at it, and the back door is left open.

83 min: Japan take their time with the free kick. a lot of time Don, the magic man, takes it and Itakura heads down. This time, Simon was comfortable. Mind you, the header was about 30 yards out.

80 mins: It’s all Spain, but so far it’s all been toothless. Spain’s Morata left the field without a striker. Fati chased the ball down the byline but couldn’t win the corner.

77 min: Adriana Batalha has the VAR referee at home, it seems. Is this Peter Walton? Actually, where is Peter Walton? “I showed that picture to my in-house expert and he said it looks like it’s in. You have to see the entire volume of the ball, not the part that touches the ground. If you look at the widest part of the field, it’s on the line.”

74 min: Well, Spain still needs to find a goal. They cannot rely on the Germans and Costa Rica. Tomiyasu returns to show his experience and sweep up. Japan retained it and so did Germany.

70 min: Asano, one of the Japanese subs, has a glorious chance, Mitoma setting him up with a burst down the wing, and a lovely pass inside. Asano got excited.

64 min: Was the ball out? It appears here. We are yet to see the VAR imagery. Gianni Infantino is in the stands, no doubt feeling Japanese. Or Costa Rican. But immigrants are not workers.

62 minutes: 30 minutes more to come to this fare change. Not so much now that TV executives have decided they don’t like that added time. Interferes with advertisers.

57 min: Spain subs: Out go Williams and Morata, and in come Asensio and Ferran Torres.

Goal! Japan 2-1 Spain (Tanaka, 51)
Japan’s ball is again in the net! Doan again ran the ball to the byline, and it went in. VAR ran a check, and the ball appeared to have gone out of play. Nagatomo couldn’t seem to keep it in. Was it inside? was! VAR says. There should be nothing to it.

49 min: As it stands, Japan is going head-to-head. good good good

Goal! Japan 1-1 Spain (Doan, 48)
Drum, drum, drum continues. But what is it? Doan, sub, scored. With one hell of a wallop, the ball fell to him outside the box. Unai Simeon was again at fault, delving into Daley on the first ball, and failing to save on the second. is good

46 mins: One change for Spain, two for Japan. Dani Carvajal for Cesar Azpilicueta. And for Japan, gone are Nagatomo and Kubo, and in come Brighton’s Doan and Mito.

Half time: Japan 0-1 Spain
It’s all been Spain, and that relatively early goal from Alvaro Morata reflected their dominance. Japan has struggled but has worked hard to stay in the game. Germany won the next game, so the second half required more work.

45 min: Gavi takes a rap on the leg from a Taniguchi tackle, and the offender is then charged. Yoshida is then accused of hitting Morata. Except he hadn’t. A simulation booked the former Southampton player. Just added a minute.

43 mins: It’s stalled as Olmo shapes to shoot and Taniguchi moves in. Japan has certainly defended. It is difficult for them to stop the flow.

38 min: Spain are finding it a bit more fun than they would have liked. But still under heavy control.

34 min: Unai Simeone turns a wobble on the counterattack, hacking Williams in a hurry to send the ever-optimistic Dejan Maeda chasing.

32 min: Busquets takes a knock, and takes time to get up. So is Gavi. The 34-year-old has a yellow card and could return as soon as the job is done.

31 min: Japan gets a glimpse but then Busquets shows his trademark anticipation and the stats suggest Spain has 79 percent possession. If they had a striker, they would be dangerous. Wait, they have Morata.

28 min: Japan is frustrated here. They came to press and are pressed to deviate. Busquets looks his best way back, and he is rather slow to play the ball to Unai Simon, who has to rush to start the ball clear.

25 min: It might have been a second as Rodri sets up a move, and Morata cuts it out. Offside, our semi-automated machine tells us.

23 min: Morata gets on the end of a Spain move that suddenly clicks into gear but can only shoot straight at Gonda in the Japan goal. Now there is loud applause in the stadium, drums, drums, drums.

19 min: Real Sociedad’s Kubo goes down, clutching his face after a blow from Dani Olmo. Spain is starting to be a hard-pressing team now.

15 min: The supplier of that cross was Azpilicueta, Morata’s old friend at Chelsea. He knew exactly where his friend was going.

Goal! Japan 0-1 Spain (Morata, 12)
Spain decided to mix things up with some time. Japan is not in the mood to let them stay. Williams and Gavi linked up, and then as the ball came back, the ball pinged back in and Morata headed in.

9 min: Spain go down the other end and force a corner. Dani Olmo’s chip finds Morata who can only head down. Maybe it was offside. It’s an open game, which is good news.

7 min: Panic in the Japan box, as Nico Williams spins wide from a Gavi pass. Busquets comes to pick up the pieces but blames his shot. Finishing has never been his strong point, has it?

3 min: Gavi and Pedri push it forward and Japan clears the ball in a hurry. In the pre-match, they were warming up in formation, no point in trying to fox Luis Enrique. The formations you asked for are 3-4-3 for Japan and 4-3-3 for Spain with Morata as center-forward.

1 min: The ball is, and this is a little surprise, passed behind the Spanish team. There are three changes in Spain’s defense.

Japan vs Spain lineup, team news

Manager Hajime Moriyasu hopes to keep the backline intact despite Takehiro Tomiasu’s insistence in the Japanese media that he is fit to play from a groin issue.

Projected lineups call for wingers Junya Ito and Takefusa Kubo to reclaim their starting roles, along with center-mid Ao Tanaka and forward Dezen Maeda. Apart from Eto’o, that group was rested against Costa Rica.

Japan (4-5-1, right to left): 12-Gonda (GK) — 2-Yamane, 4-Itakura, 22-Yoshida, 5-Nagatamo — 14-J. Ito, 17-Tanaka, 15-Kamada, 13-H. Morita, 11-Kubo – 25-Maeda

According to the Spanish sports daily, Koke and Erik Garcia have been named in the starting XI after Gavi and Rodri struck against Germany.

Danny Olmo could be a candidate for a break as he is fresh off a knee injury after scoring 90 runs in the first two games.

Spain (4-3-3, right to left): 23-Simone (GK) — 20-Carvajal, 3-Garcia, 24-Laporte, 18-Alba — 8-Koke, 5-Busquets, 26-Pedri — 10- Asensio, 7-Morata, 11-Torres

Japan vs Spain Live Stream, TV Channel

This last match of Group E will be held at the Khalifa International Stadium. Here’s how you can see all the action in some key global regions.