Match Overview
| Match | Home Formation | Away Formation | Key Absence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador v Curaçao | 3-1-4-2 | 5-4-1 | Gorre, St Jago (Curaçao) |
| Tunisia v Japan | 3-4-2-1 | 3-4-2-1 | None reported |
| Spain v Saudi Arabia | 4-3-3 | 4-4-2 | None reported |
| Belgium v Iran | 4-2-3-1 | 4-4-2 | None reported |
| Uruguay v Cape Verde Islands | 4-2-3-1 | 4-1-4-1 | None reported |
Ecuador v Curaçao
The key question here is whether Curaçao can absorb the double absence of Kenji Gorre and Tommy St Jago and still threaten Ecuador's back three, or whether Jürgen Locadia ends up even more isolated up front.
Ecuador (3-1-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Hernán Galíndez |
| CB | Alan Franco |
| CB | Willian Pacho |
| CB | Piero Hincapié |
| DM | Jordy Alcívar |
| RM | John Yeboah |
| CM | Pedro Vite |
| CM | Moisés Caicedo |
| LM | Pervis Estupiñán |
| ST | Gonzalo Plata |
| ST | Enner Valencia |
Curaçao (5-4-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Eloy Room |
| RWB | Joshua Brenet |
| CB | Jurien Gaari |
| CB | Armando Obispo |
| CB | Sherel Floranus |
| LWB | Deveron Fonville |
| RM | Tahith Chong |
| CM | Livano Comenencia |
| CM | Leandro Bacuna |
| LM | Juninho Bacuna |
| ST | Jürgen Locadia |
With Gorre and St Jago both reported to be doubts, Curaçao's attacking depth thins considerably, and Locadia's ability to hold the line alone against Ecuador's physical defenders is the biggest doubt heading into this fixture.
Tunisia v Japan
Tunisia arrive on a run of four consecutive defeats and desperately need a result, while Japan's five-match unbeaten sequence and sharp 3-4-2-1 system make them the side in control of this tie.
Tunisia (3-4-2-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Aymen Dahmen |
| CB | Dylan Bronn |
| CB | Montassar Talbi |
| CB | Omar Rekik |
| RM | Yan Valery |
| CM | Ellyes Skhiri |
| CM | Anis Ben Slimane |
| LM | Ali Abdi |
| AM | Hannibal Mejbri |
| AM | Elias Saad |
| ST | Sebastian Tounekti |
Japan (3-4-2-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Zion Suzuki |
| CB | Takehiro Tomiyasu |
| CB | Ko Itakura |
| CB | Hiroki Itō |
| RM | Ritsu Doan |
| CM | Kaishu Sano |
| CM | Ao Tanaka |
| LM | Keito Nakamura |
| AM | Junya Ito |
| AM | Daichi Kamada |
| ST | Ayase Ueda |
For Tunisia, the form line reads DLLLL and the pressure on Hannibal Mejbri to produce genuine attacking invention behind Tounekti is the single biggest x-factor in this game.
Spain v Saudi Arabia
Spain have looked solid rather than spectacular in this tournament, and we expect Luis de la Fuente to stick with the 4-3-3 that functioned against Cape Verde Islands, while Saudi Arabia's compact 4-4-2 will look to make it difficult from deep.
Spain (4-3-3)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Unai Simón |
| RB | Marcos Llorente |
| CB | Pau Cubarsí Paredes |
| CB | Aymeric Laporte |
| LB | Marc Cucurella |
| CM | Fabián Ruiz |
| CM | Rodri |
| CM | Pedri |
| RW | Ferran Torres |
| ST | Mikel Oyarzabal |
| LW | Gavi |
Saudi Arabia (4-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Mohammed Al Owais |
| RB | Saud Abdulhamid |
| CB | Abdulelah Al Amri |
| CB | Hassan Tambakti |
| LB | Moteb Al Harbi |
| RM | Mohammed Abu Al Shamat |
| CM | Mohamed Kanno |
| CM | Abdullah Al Khaibari |
| LM | Salem Al Dawsari |
| ST | Feras Al Brikan |
| ST | Musab Al Juwayr |
The question for Saudi Arabia is whether Salem Al Dawsari can generate enough width and directness to pin back Marcos Llorente and relieve the pressure on their two strikers, who face the toughest defensive pairing at the tournament.
Belgium v Iran
Belgium come in on a strong run of form with four wins or draws from their last five, and we see no reason for Roberto Martinez to disrupt a 4-2-3-1 that is clearly working, with Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings behind Charles De Ketelaere.
Belgium (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | T. Courtois |
| RB | T. Meunier |
| CB | N. Ngoy |
| CB | B. Mechele |
| LB | T. Castagne |
| DM | A. Onana |
| DM | Y. Tielemans |
| RAM | L. Trossard |
| CAM | K. De Bruyne |
| LAM | J. Doku |
| ST | C. De Ketelaere |
Iran (4-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | A. Beiranvand |
| RB | R. Rezaeian |
| CB | S. Khalilzadeh |
| CB | A. Nemati |
| LB | M. Mohammadi |
| RM | M. Mohebi |
| CM | S. Ghoddos |
| CM | S. Ezatolahi |
| LM | A. Yousefi |
| ST | S. Moghanlou |
| ST | M. Taremi |
Iran have won three of their last four matches and Mehdi Taremi's partnership with Moghanlou gives him the instincts to exploit any lapse in Belgium's high defensive line, making his output the biggest x-factor in this fixture.
Uruguay v Cape Verde Islands
Uruguay have not won any of their last five matches and we expect Marcel Bielsa to keep faith with the 4-2-3-1 framework while resisting the temptation to overhaul personnel after one disappointing group opener, with Darwin Núñez the focal point who needs service.
Uruguay (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | F. Muslera |
| RB | G. Varela |
| CB | S. Cáceres |
| CB | M. Olivera |
| LB | M. Viña |
| DM | M. Ugarte |
| DM | R. Bentancur |
| RAM | F. Valverde |
| CAM | F. Viñas |
| LAM | M. Araújo |
| ST | D. Núñez |
Cape Verde Islands (4-1-4-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Vózinha |
| RB | S. Moreira |
| CB | Diney Borges |
| CB | S. Lopes Cabral |
| LB | Logan Costa |
| DM | Ryan Mendes |
| RM | Jamiro Monteiro |
| CM | L. Duarte |
| CM | Deroy Duarte |
| LM | Jovane Cabral |
| ST | D. Livramento |
Cape Verde Islands arrive with back-to-back wins before a draw against Spain, and the biggest selection doubt is whether Uruguay's midfield can pin down a Cape Verde unit that reportedly caused the European side real problems with its vertical transitions.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.