Vissel Kobe vs Kawasaki Frontale

One of the most exciting matches in this weekend’s J1 League schedule pits Vissel Kobe and Kawasaki Frontale against each other at the Noevir Stadium.

Following a woeful 13th-place finish last season, Vissel Kobe have turned into a force to be reckoned with this term, going unbeaten in 87% of their J1 League outings in 2023 (W10, D3, L2) to claim the top spot in the standings. Seeking their first-ever top-flight title, Kobe must prove their credentials against one of the division’s best sides on the back of six straight league matches without losing (W4, D2). Takayuki Yoshida’s lads have been nothing short of impressive at home since a 3-2 loss to Yokohama F. Marinos in April, racking up four consecutive league triumphs, including three via multi-goal margins. What’s more impressive is that after a brace of scoring blanks against Urawa Reds and Albirex Niigata (D1, L1), they’ve netted at least twice in their last five home games in the J1 League.

Last season’s runner-up finish already looks far-fetched for Kawasaki Frontale following an underwhelming 15-game start to the season (W6, D3, L6). But after back-to-back 2-1 defeats, they returned to winning ways with a 2-0 home triumph over Kashiwa Reysol last time out and could win consecutive J1 League matches for only the second time this season. Worryingly for manager Toru Oniki, his men have lost their three successive away games in all competitions in the lead-up to this trip via an identical 2-1 scoreline despite getting on the scoresheet before halftime twice in this run. Yet, if it’s any consolation, Kawasaki can draw confidence from going unbeaten in their last six league visits to Kobe (W3, D3), though they only scored more than once in 50% of those match-ups.