At 18:00 Beijing time on January 27, the 7th round of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers in The Asian Round of 12 Group B ushered in a focus battle: China team away to Japan.
Group B currently ranks first with 16 points from 6 wins and 5 wins and 1 draw, Japan ranks second with 12 points from 4 wins and 2 losses, Australia ranks third with 11 points from 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, Oman ranks fourth with 7 points from 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses, ranks fifth with 5 points from 1 win, 2 draws and 3 losses, and ranks fifth with 0 points from 6 consecutive losses in Vietnam.
In the first leg of the round of 12, the national football team lost 0:1 to Japan. If the national football team wants to maintain its hope of qualifying, it must beat Japan away. But the national team hasn't won against Japan in 24 years since an informal match in 1998. This time, Li Tie replaced by Li Xiaopeng, can he beat Japan away?
At the pre-match press conference, Li Xiaopeng said in an interview that all tactics are formulated around the hope of retaining the qualification, in other words, the tactics of beating Japan away, if you lose, there are still 3 games to go, and you will be out of the game early.
In the first match of the same group, Australia beat Vietnam 4-0, reaching 14 points, rising to second place in Group B. The national football team lost to Japan this time, and even if it won all the next 3 rounds, the final points were only 14 points, and the record with Australia was also at a disadvantage.
Yes, the national football team started 532, Wu Lei and Zhang Yuning formed a double forward, midfielders Arthur Junmin, Xu Xin and Wu Xi, Zhu Chenjie, Jiang Guangtai and Zhang Linpeng were in the middle of the back line, Zheng Zheng and Wang Shenchao on both sides, and goalkeeper Yan Junling.
Japan started 433, With Ōtsuki, Takumi Minamino and Jun Ito also forming a forward trident, midfielder Hidemasa Morita and Bizen Tanaka, back Toto Hang, four defenders Yuto Nagatomo, Akira Taniguchi, Itakura, Hiroki Sakai, and goalkeeper Shuichi Kwonda.
As soon as the game began, it was basically an offensive and defensive drill of Japan's attack on the national football defense, which was not much different from the Japanese scene when Li Tie was coaching. In the 11th minute, Junya Ito crossed and hit Wang Shenchao's arm, the referee awarded a penalty, and Daisuke also took the penalty, giving Japan a 1:0 lead over the national football team.
In the 19th minute, the Japanese attacked from the right and Zhu Chenjie blocked Takumi Minamino's cross.
In the 20th minute, a Japanese corner kick was set off and Liverpool striker Takumi Minamino's shot deflected off the upright.
In the 28th minute, Takumi Minamino instigated the attack, and Daisuke Yong also dribbled in the penalty area and shot after the goal, which was saved by Yan Junling.
In the first half, the national football team was at an overall disadvantage, Japan shot 9 times and 3 shots on target, the national football team shot 0 shots, the possession rate of Japan was 75%, and the national football team was 25%.
In the second half, the national football team made a substitution adjustment, successively replacing Zhang Yuning with Alain, Wei Shihao for Arthur Junmin, dai Weijun for Zheng Zheng, and had an offensive attack, but it was completely unable to change the disadvantage on the field.
In the 61st minute, Yuta Nakayama, who had just come on as a substitute, crossed from the left, and Jun Ito also jumped high to head the ball and scored, and Zheng Zheng and Zhu Chenjie on both sides of him stood in the same place without reaction. Jun Ito is only 176cm tall, while Zheng Zheng and Zhu Chenjie are both 185cm tall. Japan locked the score at 2:0.
After the battle, Japan scored 15 points in 7 games to regain the second place in Group B, and Australia, which defeated Vietnam 4-0 in this round, still ranked third with 14 points. Still winning 3 rounds, even if the national football team wins 3 consecutively, it will only have 14 points in the end, and the record with Australia is at a disadvantage, or it can not be out.