NO team has made a more impressive start to the Olympics than Japan and they head into their second Group D clash with Mali on a high after smashing five goals past Paraguay.
I thought Japan's defence would be tested by the Paraguayans but a 25th-minute red card effectively ended the game as a contest with the Blue Samurai already 1-0 up.
Coach Go Oiwa would have been delighted with the cutting edge shown by his side as they romped to a 5-0 win, with Shunsuke Mito and Shota Fujio both helping themselves to doubles.
With Mail and Israel drawing in the other group game, a point might now be enough to seal a quarter-final slot for Japan but Oiwa will want to make sure by racking up another win.
It won't be easy against the African side though after Mali battled back from an own goal to secure a draw against the Israelis in a game where two bets landed for me.
Mali have some talented players in their squad and are likely to pose the Japanese more problems than 10-man Paraguay.
How the bookies view it: In-form Japan favourites to march on
With Japan in high spirits after that opening rout, it's no surprise to see them as Betfred's evens favourites. Mali are 12/5 outsiders and the draw pays 9/4.
Head to head: Daggers drawn
These sides have faced off just once before, in an international friendly back in 2018. That match ended in a 1-1 draw after the Japanese scored a last-minute equaliser.
Players to watch: Double down on Mito
Sparta Rotterdam playmaker Mito was the main man for Japan against Paraguay and took his goals well. His confidence will be sky high and the 21-year-old is a tempting 10/3 at Bet365 for another goal.
Cheickna Doumbia led the line well for Mali in their opener and got his reward with a goal. The striker, who plays for Shabab Al-Ahli in the UAE, is 15/4 with Bet365 to follow it up with another strike here.
Probable line-ups
Fujio scored two goals off the bench for Japan against Paraguay and that should be enough to earn him a start here. Mali should be along similar lines to the team that drew with Israel.
Japan: Kokubo, Sekine, Kimura, Takai, Ohata, Saito, Mito, Hirakawa, Yamamoto, Fujito, Fujio.
Mali: Diarra, Doucoure, Diallo, Tounkara, Diomande, Traore, Giddou, Diakite, Doumbia, T Diarra, B Diarra.
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Japan kept a clean sheet in their opener, they were up against just 10 men for most of the game. Mali carried a threat against Israel so I fancy both teams to score in this game at 5/6 with Betfred. There's more value in backing over 2.5 goals as that pays 11/10.
The half-time draw paid off for me in Mali's clash with Israel and this should be another tight game. That bet pays 11/10 and looks worth a punt yet again.
The Japanese usually play on the front foot with plenty of energy so there could be some value in backing them to score in both halves. That bet pays a decent 23/10 for this one.
This Olympics match between Japan and Mali will be played on Jul 27, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Japan vs Mali prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
In December 2020 we sadly 
