Sagan Tosu vs Urawa Reds

Ekimae Real Estate Stadium is the venue as high-flying Sagan Tosu encounter J1 League top-three hopefuls Urawa Reds in a handsomely-looking match-up.

Sagan Tosu’s phenomenal 6-0 away victory over basement boys Shonan Bellmare in the previous round maintained an ongoing trend of alternating between winning (4) and drawing (3) across their last seven J1 League fixtures. Despite their impressive unbeaten run, the hosts cannot afford to rest on their laurels if they’re to interfere in a top-three pursuit, with nine points separating them from the final AFC Championship qualification spot. Playing at home would typically boost any team’s chances of winning, but that may not necessarily be the case with Tosu, given their indifferent nine-game home form this J1 League campaign (W3, D3, L3). On top of that, Kenta Kawai’s men have only gained one win in their last five home league matches (D3, L1), failing to keep a clean sheet in every winless outing.

Meanwhile, visiting Urawa Reds dismantled a lowly Shonan side 4-1 in midweek J1 League action to arrest a dismal run of three consecutive league draws, moving within a two-point distance of third-placed Nagoya Grampus. However, you’d need to go back to late May for the last time Urawa had won back-to-back top-flight games, while their poor return of four draws from their five most recent league travels (W1) suggests their wait is likely to go on. On a more positive note, four of those five road trips saw Maciej Skorza’s team keep a clean sheet, meaning they could take home all three points, provided they draw first blood. That’s easier said than done, with Urawa losing their last two J1 League visits to Tosu without scoring.