Spain vs Japan Preview & Prediction | Paris 2024 Olympics | Women’s Football | Group Stage
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
The Spanish men’s team are one of the leading contenders at the Olympics and the women’s team, as the current world champions following their defeat of England in Australia last year, are also going for gold. The Japanese are also one of the contenders, ranked seventh by FIFA’s Women’s Rankings.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Thursday 25th July, 2024, UK – 4:00pm / US ET – 11:00am / US PT – 8:00am
HOW TO WATCH THE PARIS OLYMPICS ON TV: UK – BBC is the main broadcaster while some event will be televised on Eurosport / US – NBC is the main broadcaster while some events will be shown on NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network and Telemundo
HOW TO WATCH THE PARIS OLYMPICS ONLINE: UK – BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website & Eurosport Player / US – Events can be streamed on the relevant streaming platforms of NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network and Telemundo
SPAIN PREVIEW: BUILDING ON SUCCESS
Coached by Montserrat Tome, who took over in controversial circumstances after the Football Federation’s sexism scandal post-winning the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Spanish remain the number one team in the world and team to beat in women’s football.
Their squad contains some of the real standouts from that triumph, including Irene Paredes and Aitana Bonmati as well as some of the stars of the women’s game in Alexia Putellas and 117-cap Jenni Hermoso.
JAPAN PREVIEW: THE CONTINUITY APPROACH
Japan’s coach for the 2024 Summer Olympics is 53-year-old former Urawa Reds defender Futoshi Ikeda. Ikeda was well placed within the Japanese FA to take charge of the women’s side for the games having been in place since 2021, previously having coached both the U17 and U20 sides.
The Japan squad is stocked with players plying their trade in England in the Women’s Super League with Manchester City duo Riza Shimizu and Yui Hasegawa, as well as Hinata Miyazama, Kiko Seike, Fuka Nagano, Honoka Hayashi, Riko Ueki and Maika Hamano.
SPAIN VS JAPAN PREDICTION
We have two of the more entertaining teams likely to be taking part in this summer’s Olympics and it should be well worth a watch as Spain take on Japan at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. Spain are, though, one of the absolute best teams in the history of women’s international football and they will be expected to reach the semi-final at the very least of this competition. Japan will be a threat at some stage in this competition but the Spanish are the comfortable favourites for this one.
SPAIN VS JAPAN TIP: SPAIN TO WIN
