Both these sides will be looking to rectify their performances in their first games when they lock horns in this vital showdown in Natal. Japan narrowly lost to Ivory Coast 2-1 in their opening game while Greece was beaten comprehensively by the impressive Colombia.
Both managers will not make drastic changes in their line-up but they make switch the formations around to adapt to their opponents. Kostas Mitroglou will be pushing for a start for the Greeks to add more of a threat up front to stifle the Japanese defence. The Japanese will stick to their of tactics off attacking flair and closing the ball down, meaning Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda will be pivotal in their search for the win.
Honda: "Possession that is our strength. When we have the ball we just need to keep the ball and not give it away easily. When we do lose the ball we should press immediately. That is our philosophy."
Samaras: "Everyone expected we would have 11 men behind the ball, defend, defend, defend and give everything to keep a clean sheet. But I think what they saw was a team that likes to attack, that moves the ball really well, and that tries always to create chances."
Possible starting line-ups:
Greece: Karnes’s; Maneates, Manilas, Samaras, Kone, Salpingidis, Torosidis, Gekas, Sokratis, Cholevas, Katsouranis
Japan: Kawashima; Uchida, Yoshida, Morishige, Nagatomo; Hasebe, Yamaguchi; Okazaki, Honda, Kagawa; Osako
