Japan vs. Venezuela – Prediction (Friendly – 19.11.2019)

Preview and Teams Comparison.

Japan return home after another successful 2022 World Cup qualification (WCQ) encounter, having racked up four clean sheets, three half-time leads, and an average 3.25 goals per game in their four WCQ matches to date. They now return to home turf, where they enjoy a five-game unbeaten run (W4, D1). Takumi Minamino has found the back of the net in his last five starts for Japan. As a winless and unsuccessful Copa América invitee in 2019, Japan have an intimate and extensive recent history with CONMEBOL nations. They have taken on South American opposition on eight occasions since the last World Cup, with a 1-1 home draw to Venezuela being one of their six unbeaten games in that sequence (W3, D3, L2).

Japan have not seen a red card awarded to either side in their 24 matches played since the last World Cup. Just one of Japan’s last five fixtures against a nation ranked in FIFA’s top-50 have seen both teams score. Five of Venezuela’s last seven matches have produced under 2.5 total goals.

That 1-1 draw in Ōita was one of several surprise results that the Venezuelans have managed to inflict upon an opposition away from home. Indeed, their last eight matches outside of Venezuela entered as an outsider (including neutral venues) have seen them enjoy a reasonably healthy return of: W2, D4, L2. Venezuela’s Salomón Rondón scored in both matches during the last international window, including the opener against Trinidad & Tobago. The opening goal of the game looks to be particularly crucial. Significantly, the half-time result has been replicated at full-time in each of Venezuela’s last eight matches, which includes three scoreless draws. Those draws excluded, the team opening the scoring has gone on to record HT/FT victories in the remaining five matches.

Match Info and Live Scores.