Vissel Kobe vs Sagan Tosu

J1 League title hopefuls Vissel Kobe play host to fellow top-half rivals Sagan Tosu at the Noevir Stadium.

Vissel Kobe’s pursuit of a maiden J1 League title is going according to plan as they commence this round only three points adrift of table-topping Yokohama F. Marinos, albeit with two games in hand. An emphatic 5-2 home thumping of sub-par Iwata in midweek Emperor’s Cup action stretched Kobe’s unbeaten run in all competitions to four games (W3, D1), further solidifying their confidence ahead of this encounter. Speaking of high spirits, ‘Ushi’ have reigned supreme in their recent top-flight meetings with Sagan Tosu, winning the last four in a row by an aggregate score of 9-0. Another day in the office could be in store for Kobe as they’ve not lost any of their five most recent top-flight H2Hs on home turf (W3, D2).

While Kobe must be brimming with confidence, visiting Sagan Tosu won’t be taking the field in a buoyant mood after an underwhelming Emperor’s Cup exit at the hands of lower-league Kumamoto maintained their patchy form in all competitions (W2, D1, L3). On a more positive note, the visitors have alternated between winning (2) and losing (3) in their last three league outings, a run which includes a stellar 6-0 victory at Shonan Bellmare on their most recent top-flight trip. Indeed, Kenta Kawai’s men have fared reasonably well away from home in recent months, avoiding defeat on five of their last six J1 League travels since mid-April (W4, D1).