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J1 League | Gameweek 18
Jun 25, 2023 at 11am UK
Best Denki Stadium (Fukuoka)
Avispa Fukuoka
0 - 3
Vissel Kobe

Yamagishi (50'), Nara (73'), Maejima (81')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Osako (22'), Muto (60', 87')

Preview: Avispa Fukuoka vs. Vissel Kobe - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Avispa Fukuoka vs. Vissel Kobe - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Sunday's J1 League clash between Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

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.

Avispa Fukuoka J1 League form:

Vissel Kobe J1 League form:


Vissel Kobe form (all competitions):



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

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Yokohama F MarinosYokohama18123338201839
2Vissel KobeVissel Kobe17113336132336
3Nagoya GrampusNagoya Grampus1810532516935
4Urawa Red DiamondsUrawa1896325141133
5Cerezo OsakaCerezo1910272721632
6Sanfrecce HiroshimaHiroshima189272217529
7Kashima AntlersKashima Antlers188462418628
8Sagan Tosu187562521426
9Consadole SapporoConsadole187563936326
10Kawasaki FrontaleKawasaki177462119225
11Avispa Fukuoka196581825-723
12FC Tokyo186482428-422
13Kyoto Sanga1861112229-719
14Gamba OsakaGamba Osaka185492334-1119
15Albirex Niigata184681928-918
16Kashiwa ReysolReysol182791628-1213
17Yokohama FCYokohama FC1834111437-2313
18Shonan BellmareShonan Bellmare1826102438-1412
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