Japan were not highly rated coming into the tournament but qualified after a creditable draw with Senegal and an unexpected 2-1 win over group winners – and England’s last 16 opponents –Colombia.
Belgium, meanwhile, won all their games, including a 5-2 thrashing of Tunisia and a 1-0 victory in a lacklustre, second-string affair with England.
Anything but a win for the star-studded Belgium would be a shock – but Japan have already shown they’re capable of surprising…
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When is the Belgium v Japan World Cup 2018 Last 16 match being played?
The match takes place on Monday 7th July.
What time is kick-off?
The match begins at 7pm UK time.
What stadium is hosting the tie?
Rostov Arena, Rostov-On-Don.
Where can I watch it?
The match is live on BBC1, with coverage starting at 6:30pm.
Who’s in the squads for Belgium and Japan?
Belgium
Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Thomas Meunier (Paris St-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham).
Midfielders: Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian).
Strikers: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Brom), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Japan
Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol).
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Galatasaray), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Wataru Endo (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers).
Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt), Keisuke Honda (Pachuca), Takashi Inui (Eibar), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Genki Haraguchi (Hertha Berlin), Takashi Usami (Augsburg), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe), Ryota Oshima (Kawasaki Frontale).
Strikers: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester), Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz).
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/2tTyfhH
