Avispa Fukuoka take on Vissel Kobe at the Best Denki Stadium on Sunday evening, in the latest round of J1 League fixtures.
The hosts are 11th in the table, having collected 20 points from their opening 17 games, while the visitors are in third place, potentially able to go top with a victory.
Match preview
At the halfway stage of the J1 League season, Avispa are likely to be fairly happy with their campaign up to this point, given that they are eight points clear of the relegation zone, having only narrowly avoided the drop last term.
The main reason Meishu have been able to avoid becoming embroiled in the relegation battle is due to their phenomenal record on home soil, collecting 17 points from their opening nine games at the Best Denki Stadiu, the fourth-best tally in the division.
That said, manager Shigetoshi Hasebe will be hoping his side are able to improve on the road in the second half of the season, as they are still without a win away from home in the J1 League, meaning they have the worst record of any side in the division.
Another issue is Avispa's poor return in front of goal, having scored just 17 goals in their opening 17 matches, the third-worst record in the division, while their recent form will also be a concern.
Meishu have lost their last three J1 League games on the spin, most recently suffering a 2-1 defeat away at Nagoya, and they face another very difficult test on Sunday evening.
Indeed, Vissel Kobe are likely to be very tough opponents, given that they are third in the table, currently just three points behind league-leaders Yokohama F Marinos, and able to go top depending on results elsewhere this weekend.
Ushi are looking to win the J League title for the first time, having made major strides since the previous campaign, in which they finished in 13th place.
A stellar defensive record has been key to the success of Takayuki Yoshida's side, having conceded just 13 goals in 16 games, the second-fewest of any side in the division, but they have looked a little suspect at the back in recent weeks.
Vissel Kobe have conceded eight goals in their last four competitive matches, most recently crashing out of the YBC Levain Cup in a 3-1 defeat at home against Yokohama FC.
In their most recent league away match, Ushi came up short 2-1 against Cerezo Osaka, despite being on top for large periods of the match, with Sota Kitano netting a 93rd-minute winner for the hosts.
Team News
Avispa Fukuoka striker Wellington appears to have finally found his feet, scoring in two of his last three games, and the Brazilian is likely to lead the line for the hosts, playing alongside Yuya Yamagishi in a 4-4-2 system.
Katsuki Nishimura was handed a start in the last match, but the 18-year-old right-winger may be replaced by the more experienced Kazuya Konno, who has made 14 appearances in the league so far this season.
As for Vissel Kobe, Jean Patric found the back of the net for the first time this season in his last match, and the 26-year-old may be rewarded with another start, playing on the left, just slightly behind Brazilian striker Lincoln.
Haruya Ide clearly failed to impress Yoshida after being handed a start in the last match, given that he was withdrawn at half time, and the right-winger may be brought out of the team, with Hotaru Yamaguchi coming back into the fold, looking to add to his goal tally of three so far this season.
Avispa Fukuoka possible starting lineup:
Nagaishi; Yuzawa, Nara, Mikuni, Oda; Konno, Ideguchi, Mae, Sato; Wellington, Yamagishi
Vissel Kobe possible starting lineup:
Tsuboi; Takahashi, Ozaki, Terasaka; Sakai, Samper, Ogihara, Izumi, Yamaguchi, Patric; Lincoln
We say: Avispa Fukuoka 1-2 Vissel Kobe
Avispa Fukuoka have a very impressive record at home, but they are now winless in their last three matches at the Best Denki Stadium, with their form taking a considerable downward turn.
As such, we expect Vissel Kobe to emerge as narrow victors, keeping themselves in the hunt for the J1 League title.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Dominic Lund
