The reigning world champions Spain Women are set to face off against Japan Women in a highly anticipated Olympic women’s football match on Thursday. This Group C encounter at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France marks Spain’s Olympic debut, while Japan makes their sixth appearance in the competition.
Match Preview
Spain enter the tournament riding high after their historic World Cup triumph last year and subsequent UEFA Women’s Nations League victory. La Roja dominated their Euro 2025 qualifying group, winning five out of six matches. They’ll be eager to add Olympic gold to their growing trophy cabinet.
Japan, meanwhile, will be looking to recapture their Olympic glory from 2012 when they claimed silver. After a strong showing in last year’s World Cup where they topped their group, Nadeshiko Japan fell to Sweden in the quarterfinals. They’ve had a solid run of friendly matches in preparation for the Olympics, notching wins against New Zealand and Ghana.
This match carries extra significance for Spain, who will be out for revenge after suffering a shocking 4-0 defeat to Japan in the World Cup group stage last year. That tactical masterclass from Japan saw them dominate despite having only 23% possession.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Spain Women Potential Lineups (4-3-3): Codina, Del Castillo, Guijarro, Paralluelo, Aleixandri, Navarro, Bonmati, Putellas, Batlle, Carmona
Japan Women Potential Lineups (5-3-2): Fujino, Takahashi, Hasegawa, Shimizu, Minami, Kumagai, Miyazawa, Tanaka, Nagano, Kitagawa
Key Players to Watch
For Spain, keep an eye on Barcelona’s dynamic midfield trio of Aitana Bonmati, Patri Guijarro, and Alexia Putellas. Up front, Real Madrid’s Athenea del Castillo and Eva Navarro will look to link up with the prolific Salma Paralluelo.
Japan’s experienced defender Saki Kumagai will be crucial in organizing their backline. In attack, Mina Tanaka of Utah Royals FC will likely lead the line, supported by creative midfielders like Yui Hasegawa.
Injury News
No major injury concerns have been reported for either side heading into this match.
Where to Watch (Live Stream)
Viewers in the USA can catch the action on Telemundo, USA Network, and Peacock. Here’s the live stream and TV schedule for other countries:
- UK: BBC Sport Web, BBC iPlayer, discovery+, EuroSport Player UK
- Canada: CBC Sports App, cbcsports.ca
- Australia: Stan Sport, 9Now
- France: Eurosport Player France, Eurosport France, Free, MAX.
- Germany: Eurosport Player Deutschland
- Spain: RTVE.es, Eurosport Player Spain, fuboTV España, TVE La 1
Form Guide
Spain have won five of their last six matches across all competitions, with their only loss coming against Czechia in Euro qualifying. Japan are unbeaten in their last four matches, including three wins and a draw.
Head-to-Head
These teams have met five times previously, with Spain holding a slight edge with two wins to Japan’s one, alongside two draws. However, Japan won their most recent encounter convincingly at the 2023 World Cup.
Who Will Win
Given Spain’s recent dominance in major tournaments and their desire for revenge, they enter as slight favorites. However, Japan’s tactical acumen and ability to frustrate possession-based teams cannot be underestimated.
Spain Women vs Japan Women Prediction: Spain Women 2-1 Japan Women
This Olympic clash promises to be a fascinating tactical battle between two skilled teams with contrasting styles. Football fans around the world will be eagerly anticipating the kickoff in Nantes.
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