Kawasaki Frontale vs Sapporo University

Kawasaki Frontale are odds-on favourites to overcome semi-professional outfit Sapporo University as the sides lock horns in the inaugural Emperor’s Cup round at the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.

These are tumultuous times for reigning J1 League champions Kawasaki. They come into this seemingly straightforward cup tie winless in three league fixtures (D1, L2), including a brace of top-flight defeats ‘to nil’ in the build-up to this clash. But before succumbing to a humiliating 4-0 loss to Shonan Bellmare in their most recent outing at the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, Toru Oniki’s lads had won back-to-back home league matches by an aggregate score of 3-0. With each of Kawasaki’s last seven competitive fixtures witnessing one or both sides fail to find the net (W4, D1, L2), drawing first blood could be paramount.

On the other hand, Sapporo University ousted fellow semi-amateur rivals YGU Pegasus in the preliminary Emperor’s Cup round, courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 triumph. However, that victory remains Sapporo’s solitary success in 2022 so far, as they have suffered defeats in their two remaining competitive fixtures this calendar year. With both those reverses seeing them conceding precisely two goals, Kawasaki’s intimidating frontline should have a field day this midweek. Curiously, though, Sapporo have alternated between winning (2) and losing (2) across their four away games spanning back to July 2021.