Two sides fighting at opposite ends of the J1 League table will meet in a key battle on Saturday, as Consadole Sapporo welcome Vissel Kobe to the Sapporo Dome.
The hosts find themselves rooted to the foot of the division following eight straight defeats in the Japanese top flight, while their visitors have moved within a point of second spot thanks to back-to-back victories in their last two outings.
Match preview
Consadole Sapporo head into the weekend aiming to end their rut and remain competitive in the J1 League, having fallen well adrift of safety as a result of a losing run in recent months.
Following safe mid-table finishes over the last five seasons in Japan's top flight, the 2024 campaign has been a dismal one on the whole for Consa, who have earned just 11 points from their 22 outings thus far, only winning two of those while suffering 15 defeats.
Each of those two triumphs halted six-match winless streaks for the Hokkaido outfit, with the second coming in mid-May, but they have failed to repeat that since, now heading into Saturday's contest in a run of eight straight league defeats, having conceded 17 goals along the way while only scoring four.
Following three straight 1-0 defeats at the hands of Yokohama F Marinos, Tokyo FC and Albirex Niigata in June, Mihailo Petrovic's side most recently visited second-placed Kashima Antlers in the J1 League on Saturday and again left empty-handed, with Shu Morooka and Tomoya Fujii firing the hosts to a 2-0 win, but they were then, at least, able to taste victory last time out when they met Montedio Yagamata in the Emperor's Cup third round.
Katsuyuki Tanaka and Yamato Okada both netted braces in that game alongside Shingo Omori and Yoshiaki Komai's goals in a 6-3 beating, but Consadole Sapporo now turn their attention back to the Japanese top flight with their situation more desperate than ever, and with an eight-point gap to 19th spot and a 12-point gap to safety with 16 games remaining, they know that any hopes of taking a survival bid deep into the season are resting on an improved run in the coming weeks, starting with a much-needed home triumph on Saturday.
That will certainly be no easy task, though, as their visitors arrive aiming to make it three league victories on the bounce to ramp up the pressure on the leaders at the weekend.
After winning the J1 League title for the first time in 2023, Vissel Kobe set out to retain their crown this year, and after picking up four consecutive victories in early May, their bid took a major blow in the midst of a dip in form, having earned just one more triumph from the following six outings alongside two draws and three defeats.
That rut left the Ushi on 34 points from 20 outings, six behind league leaders Machida Zelvia ahead of a crucial meeting with second-placed Kashima Antlers late last month, and they were able to bounce back in style in that game, returning to winning ways with a comeback 3-1 triumph thanks to goals from Yoshinori Muto, Matheus Thuler and Yuya Osako.
Their most recent J1 League outing then came in a visit to Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the weekend, and Takayuki Yoshida's side would make it back-to-back 3-1 victories, initially going ahead through Osako and being pegged back before Rikuto Hirose restored their lead in the second half and Hotaru Yamaguchi added a third 19 minutes from time.
Now returning to action on the back of an Emperor's Cup triumph of their own, having beaten Tokushima Vortis 2-0 thanks to goals from Daiju Sasaki and Osako, Vissel Kobe find themselves fourth after 22 J1 League games, six points off top spot and one point behind second-placed Kashima Antlers and third-placed Gamba Osaka, and they will set out to make it three straight top-flight wins to crack the top three and increase the pressure on the leaders in their title defence.
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Team News
Consadole Sapporo continue to deal with several injury issues heading into the weekend, as Yuya Asano, Ryota Aokim Supachok Sarachat and Hiroki Miyazawa are all set to remain confined to the treatment room.
Katsuyuki Tanaka and Yamato Okada will both fight for starting spots, having netted braces in their midweek Emperor's Cup victory after being named on the bench in their last league outing against Kashima Antlers.
Yoshiaki Komai will continue to play a key role in support of a lone front man, while July arrival Leo Osaki may again get the nod alongside Seiya Baba in the middle of their 3-4-2-1 setup.
Vissel Kobe may field the same starting XI from their 3-1 victory away at Sanfrecce Hiroshima last weekend, with Yuya Osaka bound to lead their line with confidence having scored in three consecutive matches, including Wednesday's Emperor's Cup win to move onto seven goals for the season.
With top scorer Taisei Miyashiro set to remain sidelined by an injury, Osaka should again be joined up top in their 4-3-3 shape by Rikuto Hirose and Yoshinori Muto, who has notched up seven goals of his own so far this term.
Hotaru Yamaguchi, who also got on the scoresheet against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, will continue to play a key role in the midfield trio, while mainstays Thuler and Tetsushi Yamakawa will again partner up in the middle of a back four.
Consadole Sapporo possible starting lineup:
Sugeno; Takao, Okamura, Nakamura; H Tanaka, Osaki, Baba, K Tanaka; Komai, Okada; Suzuki
Vissel Kobe possible starting lineup:
Maekawa; Hatsuse, Yamakawa, Thuler, Honda; Yamaguchi, Ogihara, Ide; Muto, Osako, Hirose
We say: Consadole Sapporo 0-2 Vissel Kobe
With confidence from back-to-back victories and their sights set on the top three, we can only envisage Vissel Kobe cruising past a Consadole Sapporo side who are devoid of any momentum at the bottom of the table on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
