Fresh from progressing in the Emperor's Cup, both Sagan Tosu and Consadole Sapporo will be aiming to continue their winning ways when they meet at Ekimae Real Estate Stadium on Saturday.
There is only three points separating the two teams right now in the J1 League with each sitting just inside the top half of the table as they aim to keep progressing upward.
Match preview
Sagan Tosu head into this weekend in the midst of a three-match unbeaten streak that they will be attempting to extend as they aim to catch up to their opponents in the league table.
Right now there are only three points between them and a victory would see them draw level in the table, but after an impressive display in midweek there should be plenty of confidence in the team.
Sagan Tosu were able to win 5-1 in the Emperor's Cup and a repeat of that performance is something that the team will be keen to repeat.
The hosts have enjoyed mixed form so far this season with six wins, four draws, and six defeats, and a little more consistency is something that could help them make real progress in the J1 League.
Sagan Tosu have not thrived in front of goal yet this season, which is clear by the fact they have scored fewer than any of the other teams in the top half.
That is not a problem that their opponents are dealing with, though, as Consadole Sapporo are the highest-scoring team in the J1 League at this point with 37 goals.
The visitors have impressed from an offensive perspective, and that was clear in their most recent league match as they found the back of the net five times.
It was a frantic game that they will not be looking to repeat though as they narrowly defeated Kashiwa Reysol 5-4 with a 93rd-minute goal from Shunta Tanaka sealing the three points.
That victory helped the team climb into seventh place in the J1 League table, and another victory this weekend has the potential of pushing them up again into fifth depending on other results.
Considering the fact that Consadole Sapporo have been much stronger away from home so far, they should have a lot of confidence as well, having only lost once on the road this season.
Team News
Yoichi Naganuma has been a real threat for Sagan Tosu as of late from out wide, and he should be featured in the starting lineup once again this time around.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the park So Kawahara is likely to be the driving force for the team, as has been the case as of late.
The visitors have great attacking options all across the pitch at the moment, and the 3-4-2-1 formation that they have been using is something that has helped to get the best out of that.
Tsuyoshi Ogashiwa is likely to lead the line on his own, fresh from scoring in their most recent J1 League match, with an unchanged team from that 5-4 win being possible.
Sagan Tosu possible starting lineup:
Il-Gyu; Harada, Tashiro, Yamazaki, Kikuchi; Moriya, Kawahara, Tezuka; Iwasaki, Naganuma, Ono
Consadole Sapporo possible starting lineup:
Sugeno; Tanaka, Okamura, Suga; Fernandes, Nakamura, Arano, Kaneko; Komai, Asano; Ogashiwa
We say: Sagan Tosu 1-3 Consadole Sapporo
Both teams come into this game in good form which should make for a close encounter, but considering the attacking qualities of Consadole Sapporo, they should just edge this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
