HONG KONG – Japan face second-placed Saudi Arabia in Group C of Asia’s third round of World Cup preliminaries in Jeddah on Oct 10, looking to continue their prolific start as top-of-the-table clashes take centre stage across the continent.

Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan arrive in the Gulf state having handed out thrashings to China (7-0) and Bahrain (5-0), scoring 12 times in the previous window to sound a warning to the sides chasing one of two automatic World Cup berths available from Group C.