Vissel Kobe vs Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo

J1 League bidders Vissel Kobe entertain out-of-form Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo at the Noevir Stadium in an exciting league fixture.

Ongoing problems with inconsistent performances have plagued Vissel Kobe’s bid to win an elusive first J1 League title, with ‘Ushi’ alternating between winning (3) and not (D1, L1) in their last five league outings. But a comprehensive 3-0 victory at Avispa Fukuoka in the lead-up to this clash may have lifted Kobe’s spirits as they look to whittle down a three-point gap on table-topping Yokohama F. Marinos. With a game in hand, they can still do it without winning here, but Takayuki Yoshida’s men are odds-on to dispatch Sapporo after piecing together four straight home league triumphs. Not only did three of those triumphs come by 2+ goals ‘to nil,’ but all but one saw Kobe get on the scoresheet first before halftime.

As for Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, a disheartening 4-1 home defeat to Cerezo Osaka last time out hindered their chances of closing a staggering nine-point gap on third-placed Nagoya Grampus, leaving them winless in three of their four most recent league fixtures (D, L2). While you’d think the upcoming trip to Kobe could worsen the situation, the visitors have actually excelled on the road this season, suffering just one loss on nine J1 League travels (W4, D4). Indeed, since that 4-1 thumping at Urawa Reds in mid-April, they’ve mustered a four-game unbeaten league streak away from home (W3, D1), notably netting 4+ goals in each victory. But despite their recently discovered scoring prowess, the visitors could wave goodbye to their winning prospects unless they can fly out of the traps, having lost five out of six top-flight games after conceding first (W1).