Shimizu S-Pulse vs Avispa Fukuoka

IAI Stadium Nihondaira is the venue as Shimizu S-Pulse and Avispa Fukuoka go head-to-head in an exciting J1 League showdown.

Since a goalless away draw with Kyoto, Shimizu S-Pulse have lost their three subsequent J1 League matches by an aggregate score of 8-2, conceding 2+ goals on each occasion. Sitting two points adrift of safety, the hosts will hope to end a run of five winless league fixtures (D1, L4). There’s a reason for optimism in the home camp as they are uneaten in their last four top-flight H2Hs at home soil (W3, D1). Since each of those three victories came ‘to nil,’ keeping a clean sheet will be of the utmost importance. That said, the ‘S-Pa’ have lost their last three home league outings, failing to get on the scoresheet in two of them.

In the meantime, Avispa Fukuoka have picked up just one win from their last five J1 League fixtures (D2, L2), failing to get on the scoresheet in four of them. What’s more, before slipping to a 2-1 defeat to Kashima Antlers on their most recent league trip, the visitors had drawn a blank in back-to-back J1 League matches (D1, L1). Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Shigetoshi Hasebe’s men have lost all four away league games in which they conceded the opening goal this term. Moreover, Fukuoka are winless in their last eight top-flight meetings with Shimizu (D3, L5 – 90 minutes only).