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Nagoya Grampus welcome Shimizu S-Pulse to Toyota Stadium for the J1 League matchday 21 on Saturday.
Nagoya Grampus finished near the top of the table last season in fifth position. With two key players leaving the outfit, Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Xavier and Japan’s Ryogo Yamasaki were replaced by Leo Silva and Keiya Sento. Those arrivals and a couple of others are yet to have a big impact, but the 2010 champions are getting along.
Halfway through the season, they sit in ninth spot with 25 points – still a long way off the summit held by Yokohama FM on 43 points. After two successive defeats, Grampus returned to winning ways on Wednesday and will hope to keep up the good work against Shimizu S-Pulse.
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Shimizu S-Pulse placed 14th out of 20 teams last season. Five new players were added to the team in the offseason – including goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, Se-hun Oh and Brazilian Ronaldo. S-Pa are yet to clinch a top-flight title but have finished third thrice.
Their campaign has been abysmal. They sit at the bottom of the standings with 17 points and there is little prospect for a turnaround. The trip to Toyota city could be another back-breaking experience for Shimizu S-Pulse, who are still ruing their recent back-to-back losses.
Nagoya Grampus welcome a team they can outmuscle and can’t afford to miss the boat.
Nagoya Grampus vs Shimizu S-Pulse Head-to-Head
In their last five meetings, Nagoya Grampus were victorious three times – all in away fixtures – while Shimizu S-Pulse managed to enforce two stalemates.
Nagoya Grampus form guide (all competitions): W-D-D-W-L
Shimizu S-Pulse form guide (all competitions): L-L-D-L-W
Nagoya Grampus vs Shimizu S-Pulse Team News
Nagoya Grampus
Midfielders Hidemasa Koda and Kazuki Nagasawa have been sidelined with meniscal injuries. Meanwhile, Noriyoshi Sakai, also a midfielder, is being treated for a medial collateral ligament injury. Centre-forward Jakub Swierczok has been suspended.
Injury: Hidemasa Koda, Kazuki Nagasawa, Noriyoshi Sakai
Doubtful: None.
Suspension: Jakub Swierczok.
Unavailable: None.
Shimizu S-Pulse
Goalkeeper Togo Umeda suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and has been declared unfit for the upcoming game. Defensive midfielder Renato Augusto sustained cartilage damage while Katsuhiro Nakayama was nursing a thigh injury.
Injury: Togo Umeda, Renato Augusto, Katsuhiro Nakayama
Doubtful: None.
Suspension: None
Unavailable: None.
Nagoya Grampus vs Shimizu S-Pulse Predicted Xls
Nagoya Grampus (3-1-4-2): Mitch Langerak (GK), Haruya Fujii, Shinnosuke Nakatani, Yuichi Maruyama, Ryoya Morishita, Leo Silva, Sho Inagaki, Keiya Sento, Mateus, Yuki Soma, Yoichiro Kakitani
Shimizu S-Pulse (4-4-2): Shuichi Gonda (GK), Yoshinori Suzuki, Reon Yamahara, Kenta Nishizawa, Yuta Kamiya, Eiichi Katayama, Ryohei Shirasaki, Teruki Hara, Kota Miyamoto, Carlinhos Junior, Thiago Santana
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Nagoya Grampus vs Shimizu S-Pulse Prediction
When both teams met at IAI Stadium Nihondaira last May, Nagoya Grampus succeeded in edging Shimizu S-Pulse 2-1. It is not clear if S-Pa are coming for revenge. However, they will put up a fight at Toyota Stadium.
Nagoya Grampus are favored to win and claim full points.
Prediction: Nagoya Grampus 3-1 Shimizu S-Pulse
