Vissel Kobe vs Kashiwa Reysol 19/08/20

19 August 2020

Vissel Kobe will be looking to post back-to-back home wins in J1 League H2Hs with Kashiwa Reysol when the two sides meet at the Noevir Stadium this midweek.

The hosts are not enjoying the best of times, having won only once in their previous five J1 League outings (D2, L2), with the last three all featuring over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring. Curiously, each of those three games saw both sides hit the net in the second half of play, with the previous two seeing the teams do that beyond the hour-mark and subsequently produce a goal beyond the 80-minute mark. At home in J1 League, ‘Ushi’ have yet to keep a clean sheet (W1, D1, L3), shipping over 1.5 goals in three of their last four such matches. A lack of concentration after the break is very much accountable for that, as 75% of the goals conceded across those fixtures arrived in the second half of paly (6/9).

Meanwhile, a 3-1 home loss to Cerezo Osaka last time out inflicted the first J1 League defeat on Kashiwa after five consecutive games without a loss (W4, D1). The visitors have been an exciting team to watch this season, as seven of their ten league encounters have produced over 3.5 goals, with six seeing both sides on the scoresheet. But, away from home, the ‘Aurinegro’ have avoided defeat in three consecutive league matches in the build-up to this trip (W2, D1), with the last two featuring the identical goalless half-time score and under 2.5 goals at FT. Particularly dangerous in the attacking third after the break, Nelsinho Baptista’s men have netted six of the seven J1 League away goals scored in the second 45 minutes.