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Japan take on Norway in the last 16 of the Women's World Cup on Saturday. Whilst both sides qualified from their groups, they did so in extremely different circumstances. Japan steamrolled their Group C rivals, scoring 11 unanswered goals in the process.
Meanwhile, Norway stumbled through their opening games, before comfortably beating the Philippines to secure their place in the knockouts.
Our betting bonus tip for the game looks at both sides' performances so far, as well as a number of key statistics. We then assess the football betting odds for the game, to give you our expert verdict.
Japan have been the star attraction of the Women’s World Cup so far. Their performances have been scintillating, especially in the 4-0 thrashing of Spain and they will be hard to stop in the knockout stages.
Sports betting fans will be slightly wary of the fact that Japan fell at the last 16 stage in 2019, but this appears to be a much stronger Japanese outfit and one that looks to have more than enough to get past a flaky Norway team.
Norway looked to be heading out of the World Cup after a shock defeat to New Zealand and a limp draw with Switzerland. However, a 6-0 thrashing of the Philippines booked their spot in the last 16 and they will be hoping to kick on from there.
Despite that display in their final group game, Norway still looked some way short of the team that dominated women’s football in the 90’s. In striker Caroline Graham Hansen they have a genuine world class talent, but overall this is not a squad that looks capable of a deep run.
Japan and Norway have never played each other before at a World Cup, but they have met six times previously in friendlies. Japan holds a 5-1 head to head supremacy with Norway’s only victory coming in 2013. The last time the sides met was in 2018, a game which saw Japan run out 4-1 victors.
Our statistical highlights for the game looks at both sides' form in the World Cup so far. This gives us useful insights into how the teams stack up and who is likely to come out on top this Saturday.
Mainly due to their performances so far, most betting apps have Japan as 4/5 favourites for the game. Norway can be backed at around 7/2, with the draw best priced at 23/10.
It’s not often that an odds on best represents great value, but that is certainly the case here. Quite simply, Japan are on another level to Norway in terms of quality and form. Any side that can dispatch Spain 4-0 is clearly a strong contender and do not be surprised to see Japan go all the way to the final.
As for Norway, there really isn’t a lot to recommend about them. Yes, they beat the Phillippines 6-0, but that was against very weak opposition. The defeat to New Zealand suggests they are a long way short of the standard required here, which makes 4/5 on a Japan win seem very attractive.
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