Sagan Tosu vs FC Tokyo

The two out-of-form J1 League sides lock horns at the Ekimae Real Estate Stadium as Sagan Tosu take on FC Tokyo.

Like they drew no lesson from last season’s 14th-place finish, Sagan Tosu brace up for another season-long dogfight in the lower reaches, commencing this round on the periphery of the bottom three. Level on points with 18th-placed Shonan Bellmare, Kenta Kawai’s men lament a league second-worst loss ratio of 60% across the opening 15 rounds (W4, D2, L9). Despite their troubling start to the season, the hosts can take some heart from their home record, with three of their four J1 League wins coming at the Ekimae Real Estate Stadium, with the Tosu outfit alternating between winning (2) and losing (2) across their last four home league outings. Each game (won/lost) in that sequence yielded multi-goal margins.

Meanwhile, Tokyo’s disheartening 1-0 home loss to Gamba Osaka last time out extended their winless J1 League streak to four games (D2, L@), plunging them into mid-table, six points adrift of the continental qualification spots. Hitting the road could help the visitors regain some confidence. Despite a 3-1 defeat at Nagoya Grampus on their last top-flight travel, Tokyo had picked up seven points across their three previous away league matches (W2, D1), with each game featuring over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet. Against this backdrop, Tokyo’s recent trips to Tosu have been an utter disaster. In addition to a five-game losing H2H away run in league action, they’ve failed to score on their last four J1 League visits.