20.06. (Thu) 21:00 Spain - Tahiti

PROBABLE LINEUPS

SPAIN
Valdés
Azpilicueta • Albiol • Martínez • Monreal
Fàbregas • Cazorla • Mata
Silva • Torres • Villa

TAHITI
Samin
Simon • Ludivion • Vallar • Caroine • Vero
Bourebare • Tehau • Chong-Hue • Vahirua
Tehau

Spain are expected to make wholesale changes to the team that beat Uruguay 2-1 on Sunday, with Victor Valdes, Fernando Torres and David Villa all in line for starts.

Defender Cesar Azpilicueta could win his third cap for the senior side, while the likes of David Silva and Jesus Navas are also set to make their first appearances of the tournament.

Tahiti have no new injury concerns after Nicolas Vallar overcame an ankle knock to play 53 minutes of the opening defeat against Nigeria.

Midfielder Jonathan Tehau scored the island nation's first ever goal in a major tournament against the African outfit and should keep his place in the starting XI.

DID YOU KNOW?
Spain are unbeaten in their last 23 matches, winning 16. Their last defeat came against England in November 2011.
La Roja's biggest ever recorded win is a 13-0 hammering of Bulgaria in an international friendly in May 1933.
Alvaro Arbeloa is in line to win his 50th cap for Spain.
Tahiti have lost six of their last eight international fixtures.
The South Pacific islanders are ranked 138th in the world - below the likes of Rwanda, Burundi and Puerto Rico.
Tahiti became the first nation other than Australia and New Zealand to clinch the Oceania Nations Cup last year.

PREDICTION
This Maracana showdown is the mother of all mis-matches, with 137 places separating the two sides in global rankings. Tahiti's defending against Nigeria was perilously haphazard at times, and their biggest ever losing scoreline - a 10-0 loss to New Zealand in 2004 - is likely to come under serious threat.

Editor's Prediction
Spain 9-0 Tahiti

20.06. (Thu) 00:00 Italy - Japan

PROBABLE LINEUPS

ITALY
Buffon
Abate • Barzagli • Chiellini • Sciglio
Rossi • Pirlo • Montolivo
Marchisio • Giaccherini
Balotelli

JAPAN
Kawashima
Uchida • Yoshida • Konno • Nagatomo
Hasebe • Endō
Okazaki • Honda • Kagawa
Maeda

Italy will be hoping to book a place in the Confederations Cup semi-final with victory over Japan on Wednesday at Arena Pernambuco, with Cesare Prandelli expected to keep faith with the same XI that beat Mexico 2-1 on Sunday.

Gianluigi Buffon is the only player from both sides that survives from the two nations' last meeting in an international friendly in 2001, though Prandelli could yet drop Emanuele Giaccherini for Stephan El-Shaarawy.

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni, meanwhile, will be buoyed with Keisuke Honda's outing against Brazil on Saturday, with the CSKA Moscow player coming through unscathed despite previous injury worries.

With the Samurai Blue side needing a positive result to remain in the competition, Zaccheroni could well deploy Ryoichi Maeda up front and push Stuttgart's Shinji Okazaki out wide, as the Asian champions aim to spring a surprise.

DID YOU KNOW?
Italy qualified for the tournament by virtue of finishing runners-up at Euro 2012 - Spain qualified as world champions, with the Azzurri invited as Uefa's representative.
The 2006 world champions last encountered Japan in an international friendly in Saitama in 2001.
Japan qualified for the Confederations Cup by winning the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha.
This is Italy's second appearance in the tournament, after also qualifying in 2009. In contrast, this is the Asian side's fifth campaign.
Italian national Alberto Zaccheroni coached extensively in Serie A, winning the Scudetto with Milan in 1998-99.
Italy sit eighth in the world rankings, with Japan lying in 32nd place.

PREDICTION
The Azzurri face a tough test against the Samurai Blue, who themselves are fighting to remain in the competition after an opening day defeat to Brazil. Prandelli's side appeared comfortable at the weekend, and have enough ability to see off their Asian counterparts. Expect a low-scoring game, with Italy grinding out a narrow win.

Editor's Prediction
Italy 1-0 Japan