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J1 League action returns for the 2022 campaign over the week and in their opening fixture of the season, Nagoya Grampus host Vissel Kobe at Toyota Stadium on Saturday.
Vissel Kobe will be hoping to improve on their third-place finish from the 2021 edition, which was their highest-ever finish in the league standings. Nagoya Grampus enjoyed a decent campaign and finished fifth in the standings last season.
This will be the first competitive game between the two sides since December. Both sides will be looking to kick start the new season on a winning note here.
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Nagoya Grampus vs Vissel Kobe Head-to-Head
The two rivals have locked horns 58 times across all competitions. The hosts hold the upper hand in the fixtures, recording 31 wins over their western rivals. Vissel Kobe have emerged victorious 19 times while eight games have ended in a draw.
They met three times in 2021, twice in the league and once in the Emperor's Cup. The home side were unbeaten in these meetings, recording two wins and holding them to a 2-2 draw at Saturday's venue in their previous encounter.
Nagoya Grampus form guide: First game of the season
Vissel Kobe form guide: First game of the season
Nagoya Grampus vs Vissel Kobe Team News
Nagoya Grampus
The hosts have been busy in the offseason and there have been a lot of new arrivals at the club. Yuichi Maruyama is expected to remain sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury picked up last season. There are no other injury concerns for the club here.
Injury: Yuichi Maruyama
Suspension: None
Vissel Kobe
The visiting side have welcomed Japanese international Yuya Osako in the off-season. He has trained ahead of the season opener and is in contention to make his debut in this game. There are no reported injuries or suspension concerns here.
A first-team player tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The identity of the player has not been revealed.
Injury: None
Suspension: None
Nagoya Grampus vs Vissel Kobe Predicted XI
Nagoya Grampus Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Mitchell Langerak (GK); Yutaka Yoshida, Tiago Pagnussat, Shinnosuke Nakatani, Kazuya Miyahara; Kazuki Nagasawa, Sho Inagaki; Ryoya Morishita, Keiya Sento, Yoichiro Kakitani; Jakub Swierczok
Vissel Kobe Predicted XI (4-4-2): Hiroki Iikura (GK); Ryo Hatsuse, Leo Osaki, Ryuho Kikuchi, Gotoku Sakai; Sergi Samper, Andres Iniesta, Daiju Sasaki, Yuya Nakasaka; Yoshinori Muto, Bojan Krkic
Nagoya Grampus vs Vissel Kobe Prediction
Vissel Kobe have the advantage in terms of squad quality here. While Nagoya Grampus hold the upper hand in head-to-head fixtures, we expect the visiting side to eke out a narrow win here.
Prediction: Nagoya Grampus 1-2 Vissel Kobe.
