FC Tokyo entertain struggling Vissel Kobe at the Ajinomoto Stadium in J1 League action on Wednesday.
The hosts saw their three-game winning streak come to an end as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Yokohama FM on Saturday. They dropped to sixth place in the league standings, having failed to secure a single point from the game.
Vissel Kobe's poor run in the league continued on Saturday as they suffered a 3-1 loss at home to Kyoto Sanga. They failed to build on their impressive 4-3 win over Melbourne Victory in the AFC Champions League playoffs in March and before this loss played out a goalless draw against Shimizu S-Pulse.
They remain winless in the J1 League and are just one place above last-placed Shonan Bellmare.
FC Tokyo vs Vissel Kobe Head-to-Head
The two rivals have met 52 times across all competitions since 1994. The hosts enjoy a healthy lead over their western rivals, securing 28 wins in the fixture, while the visitors have come out on top 10 times. 14 games in this fixture have ended in draws.
Vissel Kobe are without a win in their last three encounters with the hosts. They last squared off at the Noevir Stadium Kobe in August. The game ended in a win for the Gas thanks to Leandro's late winner.
FC Tokyo form guide (all competitions): L-W-W-D-W
Vissel Kobe form guide (all competitions): L-D-W-L-D
FC Tokyo vs Vissel Kobe Team News
FC Tokyo
Goalkeeper Akihiro Hayashi has recovered from a long-term injury but is yet to feature this season and is a doubt for the game. Leandro has played just one league game for the hosts this season and has been injured since February.
Kuryu Matsuki was sent off in the previous game and will serve a one-game suspension here.
Injured: Akihiro Hayashi, Leandro
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Kuryu Matsuki
Vissel Kobe
Yoshinori Muto is a long-term absentee with a ligament injury while Sergi Samper also suffered a potentially season-ending injury last month.
Daiju Sasaki and Noriaki Fujimoto are the other two injury concerns for the visiting side.
Injuries: Noriaki Fujimoto, Yoshinori Muto, Daiju Sasaki, Sergi Samper
Doubtful: None
Suspension: None
FC Tokyo vs Vissel Kobe Predicted XI
FC Tokyo Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Jakub Słowik (GK); Yasuki Kimoto, Masato Morishige, Yuto Nagatomo, Henrique Trevisan; Hirotaka Mita, Shuto Abe; Adaílton, Diego Oliveira, Ryoma Watanabe; Kensuke Nagai
Vissel Kobe Predicted XI (4-3-3): Hiroki Iikura (GK); Gotoku Sakai, Yuki Kobayashi, Ryuho Kikuchi, Tetsushi Yamakawa; Bojan, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Yuya Nakasaka; Andres Iniesta, Lincoln, Yuya Osako
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FC Tokyo vs Vissel Kobe Prediction
The hosts have endured a low-scoring run in the league this season but have made the goals count, securing three wins in five games. Just one of their three wins have come at home.
The visiting side have the worst defensive record in the league, conceding 12 goals in eight league games so far. They have scored just four goals so far and might struggle here.
Considering the form of the two sides, the game will likely end in a draw.
Prediction: FC Tokyo 1-1 Vissel Kobe