Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Avispa Fukuoka will battle for three points in a J League 1 matchday 26 fixture on Saturday. The hosts are coming into the game on the back of a 3-2 defeat away to Yokohama F Marinos in midweek.
They were 2-1 down at the break, with Elber and Yan scoring either side of Yuya Asano. Anderson Lopes made it 3-1 six minutes into the second half while Daiki Suga pulled one back seven minutes later.
Fukuoka, meanwhile, shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw away to Shonan Bellmare. They went behind to Akito Suzuki's goal in the 61st minute but Shabab Zahedi drew the game level four minutes into injury time.
The stalemate left them in eighth spot in the table, having garnered 36 points from 25 games. Sapporo remain at the foot of the standings on 15 points.
Consadole Sapporo vs Avispa Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Avispa have 23 wins from the last 53 head-to-head games. Consadole Sapporo were victorious on 18 occasions while 12 games ended in a share of the spoils.
- One of those stalemates came in February 2024 when they shared the spoils in a goalless draw in the reverse fixture.
- Four of Fukuoka's last five games across competitions have seen one side keep a clean sheet.
- Sapporo have the joint-worst home record in the league with nine points garnered from 12 games in front of their fans.
- Five of the last seven head-to-head games have ended in draws.
- Fukuoka are winless in their last five games in all competitions (four losses).
Consadole Sapporo vs Avispa Prediction
Consadole Sapporo had a false dawn as they went three games unbeaten across the league and cup to boost hopes of an unlikely survival. Their mini-revival came to an end in midweek and Mihailo Petović's side are 11 points from safety.
Avispa Fukuoka snapped a four-game losing run across competitions, with their draw in midweek and will be keen to register a first win since June. They are unbeaten in the last seven head-to-head games and are slight favorites against the league's worst side.
Draws have been the most recurring result in recent head-to-head games. We are backing the spoils to be shared in a low-scoring stalemate.
Prediction: Consadole Sapporo 1-1 Avispa Fukuoka
Consadole Sapporo vs Avispa Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 1.5 goals