Apparently, Japanese politeness has its limits. Some journalists around the national team are said to have been urged by their bosses not to speak to their Croatian colleagues before the round of 16 duel at the World Cup in Qatar with the runner-up world champion.
On behalf of the nation, so to speak. At least that's what the Croatian broadcaster HRT reports. There are actually no more secrets at the big Bundesliga meeting on Monday (4 p.m. / ZDF and Magenta TV) - a total of 13 players from the two teams play in Germany. "Of course I know the Japanese players very well from the Bundesliga. There are really strong players there," said Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig in Al-Rajjan.
Increased market values
And when the Croatian and Japanese stars return to Germany in a few weeks, the Bundesliga managers at least will be happy about the increased market value of their players. As in the case of Gvardiol from DFB Cup winner Leipzig. "He's the best defender in the world," enthused Croatia national coach Zlatko Dalic after the 0-0 draw against Belgium: "He's only 20. If he's not number 1 by now, he will be." The defender is already valued at up to 100 million euros, and numerous top clubs such as Chelsea FC, Manchester City and Juventus Turin are said to be interested in Gvardiol, who is bound in Leipzig until 2027.
The situation is similar with Borna Sosa, who could fill the empty coffers of VfB Stuttgart in the event of a transfer. As early as the summer, Serie A club Atalanta Bergamo is said to have offered up to 20 million euros for the left-back, whom ex-VfB sports director Sven Mislintat had compared to David Beckham. FC Barcelona was also traded as a new club. "I'm in no hurry to change. Of course, every player wants to develop his career. I'm sure it will be the same for me after the World Cup," Sosa told L'Equipe.
On the Japanese side, too, after the surprising victories against the heavyweights Germany and Spain, the players on the world stage are moving into the limelight. While Frankfurt's Daichi Kamada was already an international star as the Europa League winner, other teammates have drawn attention to themselves. Like Ritsu Doan from Freiburg, who scored as a joker against both top opponents. Even Ao Tanaka from second division side Fortuna Düsseldorf is suddenly a hero, scoring the decisive 2-1 win against Spain to win the group.
Croatia pays respect
In any case, Croatia's coach Dalic has been warned. "If someone beats Spain and Germany, it can't be a coincidence. This is a big risk. I'm expecting a big fight," says the coach and warns against already looking at a possible quarter-final against Brazil. Superstar Luka Modric, who would like to crown his impressive career with the world title, is confident: "Any opponent will have a hard time against us."
Both teams have already played each other twice at the World Cup, the statistics speak for Croatia (win and draw). But the last duel was 16 years ago. Since then, Japanese football has made another leap. "I see a clear improvement. At the moment it's very difficult to get into the World Cup squad if you don't play in Europe. Many players are active in Europe, which is a great development," Kamada said German press agency.
And with the great euphoria in the back, there might be something in it against the next favorite from Europe. "For Asia too, the fact that we were able to win against Germany and Spain, top countries in the world, will give a lot of confidence. We still have a lot to learn but we are confident that Asian and Japanese football are the top teams in the world can beat," said head coach Hajime Moriyasu. Reaching the quarterfinals for the first time, which has been announced as a major tournament goal, is within reach.
The expected lineups:
Japan: 12 Gonda - 19 Sakai, 22 Yoshida, 16 Tomiyasu, 5 Nagatomo - 6 Endo, 13 Morita - 8 Doan, 15 Kamada, 11 Kubo - 25 Maeda
Croatia: 1 Livakovic - 22 Juranovic, 6 Lovren, 21 Vida, 20 Gvardiol - 11 Brozovic - 10 Modric, 8 Kovacic - 9 Kramaric, 14 Livaja, 4 Perisic
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
