FC Tokyo are back on top and they will be keen on breaking away from the pack as the J-League title race continues to heat up.
For a while, it seemed like the Kashima Antlers were threatening to take away the crown. However, a loss against the defending champs in Kawasaki Frontale made things a little bit complicated.
FC Tokyo currently have 62 points while the Yokohama F. Marinos are trailing behind by one. The Kashima Antlers (59 points) and Kawasaki Frontale (57 points) are still in it with their title hopes very much alive.
Cerezo Osaka and Sanfrecce Hiroshima are rounding out the top six with 53 and 51 points respectively, and their J-League 2019 odds of having a shot at the title seems bleak.
We’re down to the final stretch of the J-League and we here at SBOBET give you a glimpse into the tournament’s 32nd section matchups.
FC Tokyo vs. Shonan Bellmare
FC Tokyo will continue its comfortable three-game stretch as they’ll face the 16th-seeded Shonan Bellmare tomorrow.
The Kenta Hasegawa mentored-squad have recorded impressive wins against Vissel Kobe, Oita Trinita and Jubilo Iwata by averaging two goals a game and only giving up one goal. All of this came right after they lost a tough match against Sagan Tosu.
Diego Oliveira and Kensuke Nagai have continued to lead the charge, but it was their other role players who stepped up big time for the Tokyo-based squad.
Particularly in their game against Vissel Kobe, it was the trio of Yojiro Takahagi, Arthur Silva, and Kento Hashimoto who dictated the outcome in the first half en route to securing the win. They will need more of those if ever they’ll bring home the crown.
They will face a listless Shonan Bellmare squad still searching for their first win in three months. They last did so against Jubilo Iwata with a 3-2 tally.
FC Tokyo shouldn’t have any trouble on this one, and they’ll get to face the Urawa Reds first before heading into a colossal match-up with the Yokohama F. Marinos.
Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Matsumoto Yamaga
The Yokohama F. Marinos are currently on a tear and they will stake their ongoing win streak by clashing against one of the league’s relegation candidates in Matsumoto Yamaga.
With a roster filled with capable scorers in Marcos Junior, Teruhita Nakagawa, and Edigar Junio, they are sure to give Matsumoto Yamaga fits defensively while producing some of the best J-League 2019 highlights.
Their fans should give a lot of credit to their manager in Ange Postecoglou. The Australian boss has been a revelation since arriving in the country and his performance at the sidelines have earned for himself a contract extension that would last up to next year.
He would help guide the club to a meteoric rise after finishing only at the 12th spot in the 2018 season plus a place in the J-League Cup Finals. With the opportunity to win it all within reach, for sure he will pull out all the stops in order to do so.
The Yokohama-based squad currently boasts the league’s top attack with 60 goals so far. In the same token, Matsumoto Yamaga have conceded the second-most amount of goals this term with 61, so this is expected to be a blowout in favour of the Yokohama F. Marinos.
After this match, they will enter a tough two-game stretch where they’ll face the likes of FC Tokyo and the defending champions in Kawasaki Frontale.
Kashima Antlers vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima
The Kashima Antlers momentarily held the lead in points, but the tables have turned on them during these past few weeks.
They uncharacteristically underperformed against Matsumoto Yamaga where they were held to a 1-1 draw, and they were beaten down by Kawasaki Frontale after they eked out a victory against the Urawa Reds.
It was their former players who put a dent to their titles hopes, as Kazuya Yamamura and Tatsuya Hasegawa scored the late goals for Kawasaki Frontale in their previous fixture. For sure they would like to get back on their feet quickly in order to make strong run for the title.
They will face a determined Sanfrecce Hiroshima squad who is expected to play like they’ve got nothing to lose. Hiroshi Jofuku’s side has shown the capability to be one of the dangerous teams in the league if left unchecked.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima are still aching to bounce back after a rough two-week stretch. They needed a fortuitous own goal late to upend the Urawa Reds and they were simply outclassed by the Kawasaki Frontale.
Nonetheless, this match should provide some drama and fireworks like in their reverse fixture where it ended with a 2-2 draw.
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