Fagiano Okayama's 3-0 win over Vissel Kobe is the exception in a lopsided series
Okayama have won only one of four meetings with Kobe, but it was the latest. Kobe arrive sixth with 19 points, six ahead of the hosts in 11th.
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Japan
J1 League
16 stories
Results
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Urawa seek a fourth straight win over Mito, who have taken nine points from nine
Urawa Red Diamonds won both league meetings with Mito Hollyhock this year by a combined score of six goals to one. The hosts have also drawn level with them on little else: three points and two places separate the sides.
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Kashima Antlers score twice in five minutes and survive 16 shots to beat V-Varen Nagasaki
Ceará's second-minute penalty and a goal from Aleksandar Čavrić settled it early. Tomoki Hayakawa then made three saves as Nagasaki had the shots but not the goals.
2–0
Cerezo Osaka's goal drought meets Kawasaki Frontale's sharper attack
Cerezo Osaka have scored seven goals in nine league games, while Kawasaki Frontale have 17. A single point separates the sides in the J1 League table.
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Winless Tokyo Verdy host FC Tokyo, who have conceded three in 10
The J1 League's bottom side has four points and no win in nine. Its city neighbours have won eight of their last 10 and lead the head-to-head 6-1.
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JEF United Chiba, 19th, host Marinos, who have beaten them twice this season
Chiba have won one of their last 10 league games and have conceded 19 goals in nine matches. Yokohama F. Marinos arrive seventh, having won both meetings between the clubs this year.
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Sanfrecce Hiroshima's league-best defence meets a Kyoto Sanga side shipping goals
Second-placed Hiroshima have conceded six in nine league games and beat Kyoto 4-0 in May. The visitors, 16th, have let in 16.
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Tokyo Verdy lose Someno on 18 minutes and FC Tokyo take the derby 4-0
A red card early in the first half left Tokyo Verdy with 10 men for over 70 minutes. FC Tokyo had 23 shots and scored four times, the last in stoppage time.
0–4
Shimizu S-Pulse face winless Gamba Osaka, 18th and still searching for a second league win
Gamba Osaka have won once in nine and conceded 16 goals, yet they have taken the better of this fixture historically: 19 wins in 33 meetings against Shimizu's seven.
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Kawasaki Frontale's goals meet Nagoya Grampus's leaky defence in Matchday 9
Kawasaki Frontale have scored 21 times in their last 10 league games. Nagoya Grampus have conceded 18 in theirs and sit 17th, six points shy of tomorrow's hosts.
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Mito and Shimizu split by one point, with no clear favourite
Thirteenth hosts twelfth in J1 League, and both the betting market and our model see a near-even three-way contest. Shimizu have won both previous meetings, scoring seven goals to Mito's one.
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Winless Tokyo Verdy host Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who have conceded just six in eight
Verdy are 19th with four points and no win. Hiroshima, fifth, have allowed only 5.5 expected goals all season and have beaten this opponent in eight of nine meetings.
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JEF United Chiba, 20th and leaky, host V-Varen Nagasaki with 11 goals of goal difference to repair
The bottom side in J1 League has conceded 18 times in eight games, and its expected goals against say the defence has been exposed rather than unlucky. Nagasaki, 15th, arrive four points better off.
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Avispa Fukuoka, one win in eight, host Fagiano Okayama nine points clear
Fagiano Okayama sit 9th with 13 points, while 18th-placed Avispa Fukuoka have lost six of their eight league games. Yet the head-to-head record leans Avispa's way.
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Cerezo Osaka's thin attack meets Yokohama F. Marinos' sharper run
Cerezo Osaka have scored seven league goals in eight games; Yokohama F. Marinos have 13. Our model leans towards the visitors, while the betting market prefers the hosts.
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Kashiwa Reysol's attack meets Vissel Kobe's miserly defence in a first-versus-second clash
Table leaders Vissel Kobe have conceded five league goals in eight games, but Kashiwa Reysol sit one point behind and have scored 17. Kashiwa also hold a 19-9 edge in the all-time meetings.
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