The J1 League is back in action with another round of matches this week as Kawasaki Frontale take on Cerezo Osaka on Wednesday.
Both teams can pack a punch on their day and will be determined to win this game.
Cerezo Osaka are in fourth place in the J1 League standings and have been fairly impressive so far this season. The hosts eased past Avispa Fukuoka by a 2-0 scoreline in their previous game and will look to achieve a similar result this week.
Kawasaki Frontale, on the other hand, are in fifth place in the league table at the moment and have been inconsistent so far. The away side suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Urawa Reds last week and will need to bounce back in this fixture.
Cerezo Osaka vs Kawasaki Frontale Head-to-Head
Cerezo Osaka have a slight edge over Kawasaki Frontale and have won 14 out of the 31 matches played between the two teams. Kawasaki Frontale have managed 13 victories against Cerezo Osaka and will look to level the scales on Wednesday.
The previous meeting between the two teams took place last month and ended in a 2-1 victory in favor of Cerezo Osaka. Kawasaki Frontale were not at their best on the day and will need to step up this week.
Cerezo Osaka form guide in the J1 League: W-W-D-D-W
Kawasaki Frontale form guide in the J1 League: L-W-L-D-W
Cerezo Osaka vs Kawasaki Frontale Team News
Cerezo Osaka
Yusuke Maruhashi and Ryosuke Yamanaka are injured and will play no part on Wednesday. With both their left-backs injured, 21-year-old Ryuya Nishio is set to feature against Kawasaki Frontale.
Injured: Yusuke Maruhashi, Ryosuke Yamanaka
Suspended: None
Unavailable: None
Kawasaki Frontale
Kyohei Noborizato and Jesiel remain sidelined with injuries and will not be included in the squad. Kawasaki Frontale will need to field the best team at their disposal to secure a positive result against Cerezo Osaka.
Injured: Kyohei Noborizato, Jesiel
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Cerezo Osaka vs Kawasaki Frontale Predicted XI
Cerezo Osaka Predicted XI (4-4-2 ): Jin Hyeon Kim; Ryuya Nishio, Matej Jonjic, Koji Toriumi, Hirotaka Tameda; Riki Harakawa, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Seiya Maikuma, Hiroaki Okuno; Riki Matsuda, Bruno Pereira Mendes
Kawasaki Frontale Predicted XI (4-3-3): Sung-Ryong Jung; Miki Yamane, Shogo Taniguchi, Kazuya Yamamura, Asahi Sasaki; Kento Tachibanada, Yasuto Wakizaka, Joao Schmidt; Daiya Tono, Leandro Damiao, Kei Chinen
Cerezo Osaka vs Kawasaki Frontale Prediction
Cerezo Osaka have overcome their mid-season slump and are in impressive shape going into this game. The hosts can pack a punch on their day and have scored four goals in their last two league games.
Kawasaki Frontale have lost two of their last three league matches and are currently in need of a shot in the arm. Cerezo Osaka are the better team at the moment and should be able to win this game.
Prediction: Cerezo Osaka 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale