Japan – Ghana Prediction & Picks (30.05.2018)

Japan and Ghana meet at Nissan Stadium, in a friendly match. This is the 3rd friendly match of the year for Japan, after friendlies against Ukraine and Mali. In the case of Ghana, this is their first friendly of the year. There is no recent record of direct confrontations between these two teams, who have not played any matches in the last 3 years. The last time they met was on 10-09-2013, in a match that ended with the final score: Japan (3-1) Ghana. The Ghana presents considerable differences in their results at home and as a visitor, so in this game the home factor may be decisive.

Japan:

The home team plays its 3rd friendly of the year. In the previous friendlies he registered the following markers: Japan (1-2) Ukraine and Japan (1-1) Mali. This is a team that usually maintains its competitive levels in home and away matches, since in the last 30 matches they register 7 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses in away matches, with 25 goals scored and 10 conceded; against 8 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses at their stadium, with 28 goals scored and 20 conceded. In the last 10 home matches Japan has won 4, tied 3 and lost 3. They have not been very strong defensively, since they have suffered goals in 9 of the last 10 matches, but their offense has scored frequently, since they have scored goals in 8 of the last 10 matches. In their home matches there is a tendency to have goals, since in 14 of their last 15 matches there were Over 1,5 goals and in 11 of the last 15 there were Over 2,5 goals. In 15 games, he suffered the first goal 5 times and never got the comeback.

In the home matches of the qualifiers for the next World Cup in Russia, Japan played 9 games, winning 7 wins, 1 draw and only 1 loss, scoring a total of 24 goals and suffering 4, leaving an average per game of 2.67 goals scored and 0.44 suffered, showing great quality in both sectors. His best moment was in the last 15 minutes of the game, a period in which he scored 12 goals, with highlight for K. Honda, with 7 goals and 2 assists. We remember that Japan qualified for the next World Cup in Russia, since it finished the Group Stage (Group 2) in the 1st position, with 20 points added. For this friendly match, Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic has to line up a team very close to the last friendly match, when he faced Ukraine and suffered a defeat by 1-2.

Ghana:

The visiting team plays their first friendly of the year, having played 3 last year, with the following markers: United States (2-1) Ghana, Mexico (1-0) Ghana and Ghana (1-1) Benin. This is a team that usually makes good use of the home advantage, stronger with the help of its supporters, since in the last 30 matches they register 3 wins, 5 draws and 7 losses in away matches, with 13 goals scored and 15 conceded; against 8 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses at their stadium, with 28 goals scored and 11 conceded. The team comes to this match after a draw at home with Egypt by (1-1). In the last 10 away matches Ghana has won 2, tied 2 and lost 6. Defensive consistency has not been their best feature, as they have conceded goals in 8 of the last 10 matches. regularity, as they scored goals in 8 of the last 10 matches.

In the away matches for the qualifiers for the next World Cup in Russia, Ghana played 4 matches, winning 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss, scoring a total of 5 goals and suffering 3, with an average per game of 1.25. goals scored and 0.75 suffered, showing a good performance in both sectors. His best moment was between 15 and 30 minutes and in the last 15 minutes of the game, scoring in each period 3 goals, with highlight for T. Partey, with 4 goals and 1 assistance. We recall that the Ghanaian team did not qualify for the next World Cup in Russia, being in 3rd place in the Group Stage (Group E), with only 7 points added. For this game coach James Appiah must perfect his team for the next commitment for the qualification for the African Nations Cup.