Japan vs Norway LIVE: Latest Women’s World Cup score and updates

The Japan fans never disappoint – even on a cold and rainy winter’s night in Wellington.

Japan: Yamashita, Takahashi, Kumagai, Minami, Shimizu, Nagano, Hasegawa, Endo, Fujino, Mina Tanaka, Miyazawa.

Subs: Momoko Tanaka, Miyake, Sugita, Naomoto, Ueki, Hayashi, Seike, Moriya, Hamano, Chiba, Ishikawa, Hirao.

Norway: Mikalsen, Bjelde, Mjelde, Harviken, Tuva Hansen, Engen, Risa, Reiten, Caroline Hansen, Haug, Haavi.

Subs: Fiskerstrand, Sonstevold, Horte, Bergsvand, Saevik, Hegerberg, Eikeland, Blakstad, Maanum, Lund, Josendal, Pettersen.

This should be a cracker of a last-16 tie between Japan and Norway. Japan have been the best team at the World Cup so far and now play a Norway side who are growing in confidence after a difficult start to Group A.

“You can see the level of the World Cup is rising, so the women’s game is growing fast,” said Norway coach Hege Riise. “Everyone said it was an easy group, we knew it wasn’t because it was a tight group for us. Playing the home team in the first game and not performing well was a little bit devastating for us.

“But after that we got better step-by-step and when we needed a good win we went on to play Philippines and won 6-0. So confidence in the team is rising.”

Futoshi Ikeda’s Japan side have impressed with their 3-4-3 system, scoring 11 times and keeping three clean sheets in the group stage. “Each player is performing their role,” he said. “They’re not only performing to their own capacity, but they are working as a unit. It’s all about the collective.”

We switch our attention to Wellington now as Japan look to continue their impressive tournament against Norway, who welcome Ada Hegerberg back to the back.

Sophie Román Haug has helped score three goals in her absence and leads the line against Japan, while Caroline Graham Hansen keeps her place after her display in the 6-0 win against Philippines.

Japan make just one change from the side that thrashed Spain 4-0, with Aoba Fujino coming into the forward line in place of Hikaru Naomoto.

Hinata Miyazawa, who scored twice against Spain and is leading the golden boot race on four goals, leads the line.

This is also Spain’s first ever knockout win at a major tournament in their history. They were knocked out of the Euros by England in the quarter-finals last summer and then at the last-16 by the USA four years ago.

Quality from Spain, as they respond to their 4-0 defeat to Japan in style to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time. Switzerland were disappointing and only had one shot throughout the match, but Spain’s pressing and intensity was sharp from the start as Aitana Bonmati led a brilliant performance from midfield.

They now overtake Japan to become the top scorers at the World Cup and Jorge Vilda’s side will be full of confidence again ahead of a quarter-final against either Netherlands or South Africa.

90mins; We’re into four minutes of added time. Switzerland are going out with a whimper as things stand.

The attendance at Eden Park tonight has been was 43,217, which is a record for a football match in New Zealand.

That record has already been broken several times this tournament.

86 mins: So what does this eye-catching Spain win mean for their chances of winning the World Cup? On this basis, you would fancy them to beat either the Netherlands or South Africa in the quarter-finals. That could lead to a rematch with Japan, or whoever comes through that side of the bracket. And how good must Japan be, to beat Spain 4-0?!

84 mins: Another change for Spain with Salma Paralluelo the next to be withdrawn. The Barcelona winger has looked impressive once again.

77 mins: Alexia Putellas is now on for Spain and the two-time Ballon d’Or winner will get the final 20 minutes of this last-16 tie. Does she come back into the starting line-up for the quarter-final? It was a huge call from Vilda to drop her today, but Bonmati’s performance has ensured Spain haven’t really needed her.