Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo vs Vissel Kobe

Sapporo Atsubetsu Stadium sets the stage for a ‘David vs Goliath’ J1 League showdown between rock-bottom Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and defending champions Vissel Kobe.

Despite pulling off an emphatic 6-3 win against lower-league Montedio Yamagata in midweek Emperor’s Cup action, Consadole Sapporo cannot let that triumph carry them away. Back to J1 League duties, Mihailo Petrovic’s underachievers bid to halt an abysmal eight-game losing league streak and start climbing from the bottom. With 12 points separating them from 17th-placed Sagan Tosu, the hosts can ill-afford another slip-up amidst an imminent threat of losing crucial ground on safety. However, that could be easier said than done, with Petrovic’s misfiring team failing to get on the scoresheet in their last five top-flight outings. As the only J1 League side yet to smash a 20-goal barrier this season (16), Sapporo look doomed even before the kick-off.

Adding to this sentiment, visiting Vissel Kobe have got the better of Sapporo in eight of their last nine league encounters (D1), including a thumping 6-1 triumph in March’s reverse fixture at home. Kobe’s rip-roaring form in this match-up indicates a third consecutive J1 League win could be on the cards after Takayuki Yoshida’s men obliterated Hiroshima and Kashima Antlers via an identical 3-1 scoreline in their last two league outings. Kobe followed those victories with a straightforward 2-0 home win against sub-par Tokushima in midweek Emperor’s Cup action, consolidating their spirits amidst a viable attempt to defend their J1 League crown. Despite only winning 54.55% of their league matches this season (12/22), the visitors trail table-topping Machida by only six points.