Kashiwa Reysol vs Oita Trinita 12/08/20

12 August 2020

Kashiwa Reysol will be looking to maintain a 100% start to their YBC Levain Cup campaign when they meet out-of-sorts Oita Trinita at the Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium this midweek.

Kashiwa take the field as Group D leaders after winning both of their opening group-stage fixtures via the identical 1-0 scoreline. The hosts have overseen an upturn in form lately, going from three consecutive defeats to six matches without a loss (W5, D1). Notably, five of the eight results (wins/losses) during that nine-game sequence saw the winner on the day open the scoring in the first half and net over 2.5 goals. Despite Kashiwa’s mixed fortunes at home this calendar year (W4, L2), the Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium has been a venue of entertainment. Four of their six competitive clashes held at this stadium since the turn of the year have featured over 3.5 goals and both teams scoring.

On the other hand, the visitors take this trip on a run of seven games without a win (D2, L5), having scored under 1.5 goals on six of those occasions. Winless in the opening two Group D matches (D1, L1), the ‘Trinita’ face a daunting prospect of kick-starting their YBC Levain Cup campaign as they take on a Kashiwa side they’ve lost to in four of their previous away H2Hs (W1). It goes from bad to worse for Oita, given they’ve suffered five defeats in six competitive trips this calendar year (W1). Three of those five losses saw Tomohiro Katanosaka’s side draw a blank, which has been true in just one of their last six trips to Kashiwa, though.