Japan will take on Bahrain in the AFC Asian Cup Round-of-16 at Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday.
Japan's only defeat so far in the tournament was in their second group game, at the hands of Iraq. They have scored eight goals from three games and will be a huge threat in the final third when they face Bahrain in the knockout round.
Bahrain began the competition with a defeat at the hands of South Korea but bounced back with back-to-back wins to secure their place in the knockout stage. They will be hoping to cause an upset as Japan are the favourites going into the game.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Bahrain vs Japan kick-off time
| Date: | January 31, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 11.30 am GMT |
| Venue: | Al Thumama Stadium |
The match will be played at Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday, with kick-off at 11.30 am GMT for fans in the UK.
How to watch Bahrain vs Japan online - TV channels & live streams
The match will be shown live on Triller TV in the UK. Match highlights will be available on the platform and live updates can be found here on GOAL.
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Team news & squads
Bahrain team news
Amine Benaddi remained absent from another Bahrain match last Thursday, as the 30-year-old is still nursing an injury sustained in their opening match against South Korea.
Bahrain will be hoping they can field their strongest lineup against the favourites Japan and cause a shock result.
Bahrain predicted XI: Lutfalla; Adel, Baqer, Al Hayam, Ali; Al-Shaikh, Al-Wali; Madan, Al-Aswad, Marhoon; Yusuf Helal.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Fardan, Jaffer, Lutfalla |
| Defenders: | Al Hayam, Baqer, Hussain, Adel, Ali, Al-Khalasi, Al-Eker |
| Midfielders: | Abdulwahab, Al-Hardan, Madan, Marhoon, Al-Aswad, Al-Khattal, Isa, Atede, Al-Shaikh, Qayoom, Khelaif, Al-Wali |
| Forwards: | Helal, Al-Hashsash, Al-Humaidan |
Japan team news
Kaoru Mitoma was sidelined in the previous encounter with Japan due to an ongoing recovery from an ankle injury. Takefusa Kubo and Wataru Endo were the only two players who started on matchday two and also featured in the starting XI against Indonesia - they are expected to start again and play a prominent role on Wednesday as well.
Japan predicted XI: Suzuki; Sugawara, Itakura, Tomiyasu, H. Ito; Endo, Morita; J. Ito, Kubo, Minamino; Ueda.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Maekawa, Nozawa, Suzuki |
| Defenders: | Sugawara, Taniguchi, Itakura, Machida, Maikuma, Nakayama, H. Ito, Tomiyasu, Watanabe |
| Midfielders: | Morita, Endo, Minamino, Doan, Nakamura, J. Ito, Hatate, Kubo, Sano |
| Forwards: | Ueda, Hosoya, Asano, Maeda |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 03/03/10 | Japan 2 - 0 Bahrain | Asian Cup qualifier |
| 28/03/09 | Japan 1 - 0 Bahrain | World Cup qualifier |
| 28/01/09 | Bahrain 1 - 0 Japan | Asian Cup qualifier |
| 07/09/08 | Bahrain 2 - 3 Japan | World Cup qualifier |
| 22/06/08 | Japan 1 - 0 Bahrain | World Cup qualifier |