The spot at the top of the table remains up for grabs as action continues to heat up in the J-League.
As it stands now, FC Tokyo still remain on top with 42 points, while the Yokohoma F. Marinos Kashima Antlers, and Kawasaki Frontale remain at bay with three or four points behind. For sure these top teams will try to gain more momentum to increase their J-League 2019 odds of winning the championship.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima moved up to the fifth spot with 32 points, while Oita Trinita, Cerezo Osaka, and Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo are still in the middle given that they sank down to the rankings the last time around.
Still at the bottom of the table are Matsumoto Yamaga FC, Jubilo Iwata, and Sagan Tosu who are all fighting for their lives as they try to stave off relegation by the season’s end.
Big matches are in store for the league’s 21st section in which fans will enjoy, which is why SBOBET takes a preview on key matches for the said week.
FC Tokyo vs. Cerezo Osaka
With other teams slowly creeping up to the top, FC Tokyo are sure to have some sense of urgency given what happened to them over the past few weeks.
FC Tokyo atoned for their embarrassing 3-0 loss against Kawasaki Frontale by asserting their mastery over Shimizu S-Pulse last week with a 2-0 victory.
Brazilian striker Diego Oliveira continues to lead FC Tokyo in scoring with 10 goals, but he and Kensuke Nagai will continue to have their work cut for them. It is interesting, however, that they went out and got midfielder Hirotaka Mita from Vissel Kobe via transfers to add firepower to their offence.
On the other hand, Cerezo Osaka have had an okay July – by posting a 3-0 win against Nagoya Grampus and tough draws against Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vegalta Sendai.
Bruno Mendes continues to lead the way for Cerezo Osaka with five goals, and for sure he’s about to bring his A-game as they’ll try and steal one against FC Tokyo. It won’t be easy though as the Tokyo-based squad is unbeaten at home for the past eight matches.
Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Shimizu S-Pulse
Yokohama F. Marinos are now on a roll after a subpar showing last June. For the past month of July, the second-seeded team won convincingly against the Urawa Reds and Vissel Kobe and they’re not looking to slow down now.
Edigar Junio leads the league in goals scored with 11 while fellow forward Marcos Junior is not far behind with nine of his own. Overall, the Yokohama-based club boasts a lot of firepower with their vaunted lineup.
The J-League 2019 news have reported the entry of their new partners to bolster their 2019 campaign which would probably serve as additional motivation to continue their run at the top.
Meanwhile, Shimizu S-Pulse are reeling from their losses against Gamba Osaka and FC Tokyo, and they are coming in with nothing to lose against the Yokohama F. Marinos.
It will be easier said than done though as Shimizu S-Pulse’s road record has been suspect so far. They gave up 1.42 goals and have won only once in all of their road games this season. Forwards Douglas and Koya Kitagawa will continue to lead the charge for Shimizu.
Kashima Antlers vs. Shonan Bellmare
The Kashima Antlers are putting up a late run at the top of the table with four wins in their last five. Last week’s win against Sagan Tosu catapulted the squad at third place ahead of idle Kawasaki Frontale.
Save for their draw against the Urawa Reds, the Go Oiwa-managed club’s defence held its own by preventing their opponents to score more than one goal in all their contests last July.
Their current winning streak, however, will be put to the test as they will face Shonan Bellmare in their home pitch at the BMW Hiratsuka Stadium. The trio of Sho Ito, Ryohei Shirasaki, and Serginho will have the daunting task of leading the team to win this match.
Shonan Bellmare will have its hands full on dealing with the Kashima Antlers in their upcoming matchup. As statistics would suggest, the team has been lacklustre at home while the Antlers have been a superb away team with a 5-1 win-loss slate so far.
Midfielder Kosuke Taketomi leads the team in goals with five, and he will need help more than ever from his teammates if they’ll pull out an upset this one.
Another loss might slide them down further in the standings, and possibly for relegation.
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