The World Cup round of 16 rolls on as a surprise Asian representative takes on one of Europe’s steadiest hands. One team shocked the world to finish top of Group E while their opponents outlasted Belgium to grab the runner-up spot in Group F.<\/p>\n
Japan have been on a miraculous run in this World Cup so far. They won Group E by pulling off two upset wins, first over Germany and then Spain in the final group stage game. They’ve looked good all year after securing qualification, making a deep run in the Kirin Cup, and winning the East Asian Cup.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0<\/strong>Spain Bomb Out? – World Cup Predictions for the Round of 16<\/a><\/p>\n There are few teams in the tournament with more momentum than this Japanese side. Can they keep it up in the knockout stage?<\/p>\n Despite scraping through their group, Croatia are a difficult team to beat. They have only lost one competitive game all year and made it through the group stage with only one goal conceded.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong>Croatia Defender Josko Gvardiol is Part of the Next Generation<\/a><\/p>\n While they may look unimpressive at first glance, a deeper look at their recent form shows that this is one team not to overlook.<\/p>\n These two nations have only played three times in history. The records are completely even with one win apiece and a draw in that time. In fact, their last two matches have come in the World Cup with The Vatreni winning the first, and the latter ending in a scoreless draw.<\/p>\n The Samurai Blue will probably see their run come to an end at the hands of their European opposition. Zlatko Dalic’s team are hard to break down<\/a> and possesses some of the most talented playmakers in the entire competition. That should be enough to make the most of their opposition’s weakness.<\/p>\n Croatia come into this one as the favourite with SkyBet with odds of 21\/20 of winning. Hajime Moriyasu’s team are trailing behind at 14\/5 as the clear underdog.<\/p>\n Last Word on Football recognise\u00a0Qatar\u2019s human rights abuses<\/a>\u00a0and instances of corruption taking place throughout the nation and in the background of the World Cup. Learn more about some of the issues surrounding the World Cup here.<\/em><\/p>\nCroatia Run of Form<\/h3>\n
Head to Head<\/h3>\n
Japan vs Croatia Prediction<\/h3>\n
Current Betting Odds: Japan vs Croatia<\/h3>\n