JAPAN just missed out on a medal at the last Olympics so they will be confident of another deep run in the tournament as they kick off their Group D campaign against Paraguay.
The Blue Samurai made it all the way to the semis finals in 2020 before being edged out in extra time by Spain. To pile on the heartache, they then lost the bronze medal match to Mexico.
But the Japanese could hold their heads high after matching their best-ever finish at the Games, having also come fourth at London 2012. Now they will be looking to go a step further and bag a medal but they first have to negotiate a tough group.
With Israel and Mali also in the section, every match should be tight so the Japanese will be desperate to get off to a winning start against Paraguay.
The Paraguayans are going through a lean time at senior level but they have some promising youngsters coming through so the future could be bright.
And a good showing at the Olympics would bolster belief that Paraguay could eventually end a World Cup exile that stretches back to 2010.
How the bookies view it: Japan have the edge
These squads look pretty evenly matched but Japan's displays at the last Olympics make them 5/4 favourites with Betfred. Paraguay are 9/5 shots and the draw is only marginally bigger at 9/4.
Head to head: Blue Samurai have been deadly
These nations have met 11 times and it's Japan who have bossed the fixture, losing just twice. Five of those games have ended in wins for the Blue Samurai, although Paraguay did edge a penalty shoot-out win over Japan in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup after a 0-0 draw.
Players to watch: Enciso out to enhance his reputation
Julio Enciso has shown flashes of brilliance for Brighton in the Premier League and Paraguay will lean on him for inspiration. The classy forward is always a threat, especially with his long-range shooting.
Kein Sato has been a prolific scorer at Under-23 level for Japan, netting nine times. He has yet to feature for Werder Bremen's first team and plays in their reserve side but certainly knows how to finish.
Probable line-ups
Paraguay have a few European-based stars in their squad, with Wolves prospect Enso González joining Enciso and Lazio forward Diego Gonzalez on the plane to Paris.
Japan's squad is mostly made up of J-League talents and they've decided against calling up any overage stars. But six players ply their trade in Europe, including captain Joel Chima Fujita and his St Truiden team-mate Rihito Yamamoto.
Japan: Kokubo, Handa, Nishio, Ohata, Kimura, Fujita, Yamamoto, Saito, Mito, Sato, Fujio.
Paraguay: Fernández, Nunez, Dejesús, Balbuena, Rivas, Gomez, E Gonzalez, Viera, Enciso, D Gonzalez, Perez.
Anything else catch the eye?
Japan's decision not to call up any overage players might backfire on them, even though there will be greater continuity in their team. Paraguay are evens to win either half and that could be worth a punt.
I fancy the Paraguayans to score at least, given they possess a lot of talent in attack, and combining BTTS with over 2.5 goals pays 3/2 in a bet builder.
This looks like being a tight match and the half-time draw is always a good option with two evenly matched sides. That bet pays 23/20 for this one.
This Olympics match between Japan and Paraguay will be played on Jul 24, 2024 and kick off at 18:00. Check below for our tipsters best Japan vs Paraguay prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
