After going winless through their opening two Group C matches in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, Australia got the monkey off their back with a win against China on Thursday night. Can Tony Popovic make it 2/2 in his reign as head coach of the Socceroos? We bring you our full Australia vs Japan preview and best bet below. Good luck to everyone following along!
2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Australia vs Japan
Tuesday 9:35pm AEDT, Saitama Stadium 2002 (Saitama, Japan)
Australia began their Tony Popovic era with a 3-1 win over China in Adelaide last Thursday night. It wasn’t the most convincing of wins, particularly because they had to do it from a goal down, but in the end it was securing the three points that was all that mattered.
Again, Australia dominated the key statistics but struggled to find a way through China’s defence until stoppage time in the first half. The Aussies ended up winning the shot count 18-6 and had 70% possession, but couldn’t truly relax until they found the back of the net for the third time in the 92nd minute.
That win catapulted the Socceroos from second last to second in the Group C standings (see below), with seven more games to come including Tuesday night’s fixture. Still, it’s very tight as it currently stands with only one point separating second and fifth, so the Socceroos still have a long way to go before they can be happy with themselves.
Japan have been utterly dominant to date in their attempt at World Cup qualification. They’ve piled on 14 goals through three Third Round fixtures and are yet to concede a single goal.
The Blue Samurai began the third round with an emphatic 7-0 thumping of China which included five second half goals and 10 shots on target in total (compared to China’s 1). They then travelled to Bahrain where they strolled home 5-0 winners, before most recently taking care of business in Saudi Arabia (2-0).
In fact, Japan have won seven straight World Cup Qualifiers without conceding a single goal. They’ve piled on 28 goals across those fixtures, showcasing just why they’re Asia’s number 1 ranked nation.
Match Prediction: While a new coach often brings about renewed hope and a fresh outlook, this is an incredibly difficult task for Australia on Tuesday night. Gone are the days where the Socceroos can head to Japan and take it right up to the Blue Samurai on their home deck; instead, they’ll head to Saitama Stadium 2002 as the whopping $10 underdogs.
Japan’s defence has been impenetrable for months now and banging in goals certainly isn’t Australia’s strong suit. In fact, the Socceroos couldn’t even find a way past both Bahrain and Indonesia, both of which are far inferior outfits to Japan.
There are a couple of ways in which you can invest in this game in my opinion. One way is to take Japan at the -1.5 handicap which on current form they should have no problem taking care of. The other is to take the ‘No’ option in the Both Teams to Score market, where you’ll be banking on the Socceroos attacking woes continuing.
Also Backing: Both Teams to Score – No $1.91 (0.5 Units)
Japan -1.5
$1.91 (0.5 Units)
