Japan national team players were in action across European clubs over the past week, with Keisuke Goto's two-goal performance for SC Freiburg headlining the round-up from 27 October to 3 November.

Performances in Germany

Keisuke Goto made the biggest impact. Coming off the bench in the 68th minute for SC Freiburg in their DFB-Pokal match against VfL Wolfsburg on 28 October, the forward scored twice to help secure a 3-2 victory. He then featured again in the Bundesliga on 31 October, entering play in the 62nd minute in a 2-1 win over FC Augsburg. His club teammate Yuito Suzuki started both of those matches, being substituted in the 68th and 62nd minutes respectively.

At Wolfsburg, Kento Shiogai had a mixed week. He started and scored two goals in the Pokal defeat on the 28th, but also received a booking as his side lost 3-2. He then came off the bench in the 69th minute in a 2. Bundesliga win over VfL Osnabrück on 31 October.

Elsewhere in Germany, Kaishu Sano played the full match for Mainz 05 in both a Pokal loss and a heavy league defeat. Ko Itakura and Shuto Machino both featured as substitutes in Borussia Mönchengladbach's Pokal win and subsequent league draw. Hiroki Ito played the full 90 minutes in Bayern Munich's 6-1 Pokal rout of 1. FC Magdeburg.

Action Across Other Leagues

In the Premier League, Daichi Kamada came on for Crystal Palace in their League Cup win and started in their league loss to Tottenham. Daizen Maeda featured off the bench for Ipswich in a 2-2 draw, while Ao Tanaka started for Leeds in their defeat. Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki played the full match in Fulham's 1-1 draw.

In Spain, Takefusa Kubo entered as a 75th-minute substitute for Real Sociedad in their La Liga loss to Athletic Club on 1 November. Tsuyoshi Watanabe played the full match for Feyenoord in their Eredivisie draw on 31 October.

Junya Ito started for Genk in Belgium before being substituted, while Koki Ogawa came off the bench for Machida Zelvia in an AFC Champions League Two match.

Building Towards Brazil

These club minutes form a key part of the players' preparation for Japan's upcoming friendly against Brazil at home on 14 November. The national team heads into that match in strong form, unbeaten in their last four outings with three wins and a draw. Their most recent result was a 2-1 victory over New Zealand on 5 October, with goals from Ayase Ueda and Ritsu Doan.

The countdown to the Brazil clash is on, with just over a week until the squad assembles.