The 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history takes place at Estadio BBVA tomorrow morning at 7 am, with Tunisia facing a must-win Group F clash against a confident Japan side.
Tunisia’s tournament campaign has already been thrown into turmoil after a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden, their worst-ever loss at the World Cup.
The result led to the departure of coach Sabri Lamouchi, with Hervé Renard brought in to revive their hopes.
The Eagles of Carthage enter the match in poor form, with just one victory from their last eight matches and three consecutive defeats by an aggregate score of 11-1. Another loss would leave Tunisia facing a seventh straight group-stage elimination at the World Cup.
However, they can draw encouragement from their recent tournament history, having won their final group matches in their last two World Cup appearances.
Japan, meanwhile, showed exactly why many consider them dark horses after fighting back twice to draw 2-2 against the Netherlands in their opening fixture.
The Samurai Blue had won six consecutive matches before that draw and remain determined to achieve what they have never managed: reaching the quarter-finals of a World Cup.
Defensive improvement will be a priority, though, as Japan have kept only one clean sheet in their last ten World Cup matches.
Japan have dominated this fixture historically, winning five of the last six meetings, including a 2-0 victory at the 2002 World Cup. Interestingly, none of the previous encounters between the two nations have seen both teams score.
Tunisia may turn to Elias Achouri, who has scored all five of his international goals in victories, while Japan will look towards substitute striker Koki Ogawa, who has made decisive contributions in his last two appearances.
Tunisia have no new injury concerns, but Japan will be without Takefusa Kubo after he suffered a knee injury against the Netherlands.
