Kashima Antlers head to Noevir Stadium Kobe on Friday for the J1 League clash with home side Vissel Kobe. Currently, Vissel Kobe rank 16th, while Kashima Antlers hold 4th position.
Vissel Kobe enter this fixture after a 1-1 J1 League drawn game against Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Vissel Kobe had 46% possession and 11 attempts at goal in that game, with 5 of them on target. The only player on the scoresheet for Vissel Kobe was Andrés Iniesta (28′). Sanfrecce Hiroshima got ten attempts on goal with five on target on the other side. Sho Sasaki (82′) was the scorer for Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Fewer than three goals per game were recorded in 5 of the last six meetings where Vissel Kobe have been involved.
Looking at their past form shows that Vissel Kobe:
- They haven’t lost to Kashima Antlers in their previous two games.
- Have not won at home in their last two league matches.
Kashima Antlers will go into this match after a 1-0 J1 League win with the defeat of Kashiwa Reysol in their previous match.
Kashima Antlers had 50% possession and 12 attempts at goal, with two on target in that match. The scorer for Kashima Antlers was Ryotaro Araki (65′). On the other side, Kashiwa Reysol got nine shots at goal, with four on target.
Head-to-Head:
The two sides have gone head-to-head 57 times across all competitions. The visiting side hold the upper hand, leading 33-15 in wins while nine games have ended in draws.
They have been evenly matched in their last 17 encounters, with seven wins each and three games ending in stalemates. They last squared off at Friday’s venue in league action in August. Hotaru Yamaguchi scored in the 79th minute to secure a 1-0 win in that game.
Team News:
Vissel Kobe: Yoshinori Muto suffered a ligament injury and remains sidelined for this home game.
Kashima Antlers: Naoki Hayashi has not featured in any league fixtures this season, and his involvement in the game remains unlikely.
Form Guide:
Vissel Kobe form guide (J League): D-L-D-D-L
Kashima Antlers form guide (all competitions): W-L-L-W
Vissel Kobe vs Kashima Antlers Predicted XI
Vissel Kobe Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Daiya Maekawa (GK); Gotoku Sakai, Yuki Kobayashi, Tomoaki Makino, Tetsushi Yamakawa; Sergi Samper, Hotaru Yamaguchi; Andres Iniesta, Daiju Sasaki, Yutaro Oda; Lincoln
Kashima Antlers Predicted XI (4-4-2): Kwoun Sun-tae (GK); Koki Anzai, Kim Min-tae, Ikuma Sekigawa, Rikuto Hirose; Ryuji Izumi, Pituca, Kento Misao, Shoma Doi; Ayase Ueda, Ryotaro Araki
