United Arab Emirates coach Mahdi Ali isn’t fearing what red-hot tournament favourites Japan will bring to their Asian Cup quarter-final on Friday night at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.

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In fact he is welcoming it, with Japan’s ‘open’ style of football holding no fear for a boss who prides himself in a similar approach.

“I think we have seen Japan always play an open game and for us it is the same,” Ali said. “I think it will be a technical and physical game and a tough game for both sides.”

Similar it may be, but his immediate problems are two-fold: how to break down the Japan defence and how to shut down their European-based attacking weapons.

The Blue Samurai’s defence has not looked like conceding a goal in 270 minutes of football, while his own side have shifted a goal a game.

Japan have been utterly miserly, protecting keeper Eiji Kawashima throughout. He has only seen four shots hit on target at his goal, with Japan allowing just 16 shots in their three games.

In comparison, the UAE have allowed opponents to take 40 shots with 13 of them being on target.

 “The Japan team – their defence may not have been tested the past three games, but Friday’s game is different, we play differently to the other teams who have faced Japan and we will do our best to score; hopefully we score first,” Ali said.

Scoring first will have to be a priority because while they have been tight in defence, Japan have looked deadly in attack.

Their big three of Shinji Okazaki, Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda have terrorised defences throughout the tournament, especially AC Milan star and 2011 Asian Cup player of the tournament Honda, who like Ali Mabkhout has three goals so far in Australia.

The coach is confident his UAE team can stop the highly rated Japanese attacking triumvirate.

“The Japan team… most of them are playing in Europe and are experienced players, with good mentality, technique and tactics. At the same time, we have played many strong games against teams similar to Japan.

“We have studied Japan very well and will do our best and know how to stop these players.”

The only change for the UAE is the loss of defender Walid Abbas, who is suspended for the game after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament against Iran. Abdulaziz Haikal will come in to replace him.

While Ali was confident, it was a case of being cautious for Mexican-born Japan boss Javier Aguirre, who was aware of the dangers the UAE pose his team, particularly in the attacking third.

Mabkhout’s goalscoring feats have caught his attention as has midfielder Omar Abdulrahman who Aguirre predicted big things for. But it is the UAE’s style and ability to play as a team that scares him most.

“I have watched the UAE’s games and I think he (Abdulrahman) is a wonderful player and I know European teams are looking at his high-level play,” Aguirre said.

“But one player can’t win games… the UAE won as a team and we hope to take care of him the same as other players like Mabkhout.”

“We must fight in the 90 minutes of each game and respect our opponents and hope to continue as we have done.”

Japan will fight, as will UAE, but it’s really history that the UAE are fighting; the national team hasn’t beaten Japan since a friendly in Tokyo in 2005 and never at the Asian Cup.

They will have to produce the performance of their careers to defeat the tournament favourites and four-time Asian champions to advance to a semi-final against either Australia or China.