Kashiwa Reysol v Yokohama Marinos – J-League
Ramon Lopes and T. Koga are two Kashiwa Reysol players who will not be able to participate in the match against Yokohama because of injuries. While none of them has a key role in the team, their absence will limit the manager’s option as Kashiwa Reysol’s bench is quite short of quality. Contrary to the vast majority of predictions, Kashiwa managed to win against Vissel Kobe last week, which allowed them to move into 11th position. The hosts are quite unpredictable this season and struggle with being consistent. The atmosphere in the team has massively improved after beating previous leaders, Vissel Kobe. However, their current position in the league does not reflect the Kashiwa fans’ expectations this season. The hosts will need to be far more focused and improve in terms of defending in order to hope for a positive result.
There is no pressure on Kashiwa to secure all three points, however, after several disappointing performances, a victory over a top team would improve the atmosphere around the team.
Yokohama F. Marinos manager, E. Mombaerts, will not be able to use K. Nakamachi and C. Togashi as both of them are injured as well as Q. Martinus who is suspended for receiving four yellow cards. This will certainly have a negative effect on the side as Q. Martinus and K. Nakamachi play vital roles in the team. The visitors are currently in 4th position, being just three points behind the leading Urawa Reds. Unlike other top teams, they do not play in the ACL, therefore, they can exploit their key players more, so the strongest XI is expected to be deployed. The atmosphere is rather good, as fans were pleased with last week’s victory over Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Yokohama are slight favorites to pick up three points here, however, they must improve teamwork and prevent Kashiwa from scoring an early goal. They have more quality in the team and should enjoy more possession, which should allow them to create many scoring opportunities.
Yokohama need three points in order to stay in the race for the top positions. Compared to other top teams, they do not play in the ACL, so they can fully focus on the league this season. A win would certainly give the team a boost of confidence before the next two games at home.
Prediction: Over 2.25 goals
Odds: 1.83 Pinnacle
