• An Asian nation has never beaten England.

• England have won just two of their last seven friendly matches.

• England have scored in each of their last 21 matches across all competitions.

• 10 of England’s last 18 goals have come from set pieces.

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📈 England v Japan Form & Stats

Thomas Tuchel experimented pretty heavily in England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay last week, and I was far from impressed with the majority of the players. It is only a friendly, so we shouldn’t be in a rush to judge those players, but I’m still a touch concerned about England’s ability to rival the truly elite nations, as we just haven’t seen Tuchel’s side take them on during his reign.

I thought James Garner, Marcus Rashford and Djed Spence were the standouts from last week's draw - though only really Marcus Rashford has his spot on the plane confirmed. We should see an XI much closer to the one that Tuchel will look to deploy in the first game of the World Cup against Croatia here, with stars like Kane and Jude Bellingham set to come into the starting lineup.

Japan are a brilliant footballing nation and have been developing their international reputation well over the last few years with appearances at major tournaments and a dominance of Asian football. This progress on the international stage goes hand in hand with the development of the J-League, which serves as a hub for Japanese talent that is now spreading across Europe.

Japan have been known in the past to be quite a technical side, but have developed in the physical aspect of the game over the last few years. England still hold an advantage over them in that, but I wouldn’t expect the away side to be bullied by England here, given their improvement in fitness and physicality, which previously hindered them on the international stage.

📔 England v Japan Formation & Team News

England should continue to line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape with senior players like Kane returning to the starting XI after being given a rest against Uruguay last week. I think Tuchel is set on a midfield three of Anderson, Rice and Bellingham, and I would agree that this is the most balanced midfield England can put together at the moment, with Anderson filling a profile that England have been desperately missing.

In forward areas, England should opt for Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Kane with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke returning to Arsenal with ‘injury’. Phil Foden probably had his last chance to really show people that he can perform for England, but squandered that opportunity with a bit of a nothing performance against Uruguay, where he was later outshone by Palmer coming off the bench.

Japan lined up in a 3-4-3 shape during their 1-0 win over Scotland. They are expected to persist with the same shape here and should feel as though they can cause England problems. Japan will be aware that they won’t have much of the ball, but they can be really effective in the pockets of attack they will be able to put together in this contest.

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For Tuesday's football, we have Scotland v Ivory Coast Betting Tips and Bosnia v Italy Bet Builder Predictions.

While we've got 2026 World Cup Tips & Predictions, you can prepare for the tournament with World Cup 2026 Free Bet Offers.

* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.