Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo vs Albirex Niigata

The two sides that have experienced identical fortunes across their last five J1 League matches (W1, D2, L2) will lock horns at the Sapporo Atsubetsu Stadium as Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo take on Albirex Niigata.

Stuck in mid-table lethargy at the halfway point of the season, Consadole Sapporo may have relinquished their hopes of launching a late top-three push in the J1 League after alternating between drawing (2) and losing (2) across their last four league outings. With 12 points separating them from 3rd-placed Nagoya Grampus, ‘Consa’ must lodge a substantial winning streak to whittle down the distance, and a 5-2 demolition of lower-league Verspah Oita in midweek Emperor’s Cup action seems like a fine start. Unfortunately, that’s nothing more than a confidence booster ahead of their bid to post a first-ever J1 League victory over Albirex Niigata following seven failed attempts (D2, L5), four of which saw them concede multiple goals.

In the meantime, Albirex Niigata’s rotten patch could lend Sapporo a helping hand as the visitors head into proceedings winless in six of their last seven league contests (D2, L4). Despite their underwhelming 25% win ratio across their 20 J1 League outings this season (W5, D6, L9), Rikizo Matsuhashi’s men should still avoid a late relegation scare, with eight points separating them from rock-bottom Shonan Bellmare at the start of this round. But Niigata must be desperate to overcome these turbulent times, though their embarrassing away league record in 2023 (W1, D4, L4) suggests this is hardly a decent opportunity to catch a break. A slow start would only worsen the matter, considering they’ve only won one point after conceding first on the road this term (D1, L3).