A fierce battle ensues as Japan clashes with Iran.

The clash between the Japanese and Iranian national teams is the highlight match of the 2023 Asian Cup quarter-finals. This promises to be a very exciting and dramatic encounter. The "Blue Samurai" are currently ranked 1st in Asia and 17th in the world . Meanwhile, Iran is ranked just behind Japan, at 2nd in Asia and 21st in the world. The two teams have a combined total of 7 Asian Cup titles, with Japan holding the record with 4 wins.

In the group stage, coach Hajime Moriyasu's team didn't show a truly convincing performance, only advancing as runners-up in Group D. In the round of 16, the "Blue Samurai" faced a relatively weak opponent in Bahrain and had little difficulty securing a victory. However, in the quarter-finals, Iran is considered a major test of the Japanese team's mettle. A win against Iran would be a clear affirmation of Japan's true class.

Mitoma (right) is expected to shine in the quarter-finals.

Conversely, Iran is also considered to have underperformed in the previous stages. The West Asian team won all their group stage matches because they were in a relatively easy group. However, in the more tense Round of 16, Iran revealed their weaknesses and only managed a 1-1 draw against the lower-ranked Syria after more than 120 minutes of play. Fortunately, Iran managed to recover in the tense penalty shootout to secure their place in the next round.

In terms of personnel, Iran will be without their key striker Taremi (due to a red card in the round of 16). Meanwhile, the Japanese team is even stronger with the return of star player Kaoru Mitoma from injury. In the round of 16 match, Mitoma came on as a substitute and played well. Therefore, the Premier League player promises to shine and help the "Samurai Blue" reach the semi-finals.

The final match of the 2023 Asian Cup quarter-finals is a clash between Qatar and Uzbekistan, taking place at 10:30 PM.

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