Japan was bustling with football action in the form of the 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup during the recent international break. The Japanese unfortunately fell to Colombia, but they did manage to beat Bolivia 1-0 in their second match.
But all of that international business is finally out of the way, and it’s now time for the J-League to get up and running once again after a brief pause in the action. The fifth round of fixtures features some particularly exciting matchups that could feature intriguing SBOBET odds.
Second-place Nagoya Grampus face the dangerous Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. Oita Trinita and Sanfrecce Hiroshima square off in an exciting showdown between third and fourth, which should have fairly even J-League 2019 betting odds. And last but not least, high-scoring Gamba Osaka take on star-studded Vissel Kobe.
Nagoya Grampus vs Consadole Sapporo
Nagoya Grampus went into the international break on a sour note as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to FC Tokyo. It was Nagoya’s first defeat of the season and saw them drop below Tokyo in the standings.
The fact that Nagoya were held goalless was quite a surprise considering they had scored nine in their first three matches. Strikers Shuhei Akasaki and Jo have started the season in strong form as they’ve combined for five of the team’s nine goals, which is tied for the most in the league.
However, Sapporo have quite the marksman of their own in Anderson Lopes. The Brazilian made headlines earlier in the season when he scored four goals against Shimizu S-Pulse. His celebration for his second goal also made headlines, but probably not for the reasons he would’ve liked.
Anyway, Lopes added to his league-leading tally of five goals in Sapporo’s most recent match against Kashima Antlers. Unfortunately, it only proved to be a consolation as Sapporo lost, 3-1.
For all of Sapporo’s attacking talent, their defence has been fairly shaky. They’ve conceded seven goals in their first four games, which isn’t great. That backline could very well have its hands full containing Nagoya’s dangerous strike partnership of Akasaki and Jo.
Oita Trinita vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Oita Trinita have begun life back in the J1 League with a bang. The newly-promoted side has won three of its first four games to start the season and is currently up in third.
Oita owe much of their early success to star striker Noriaki Fujimoto’s amazing form. The 29-year-old already has five goals in the first four games and is joint-top of the goalscoring charts with Lopes. Fujimoto scored both goals in Oita’s 2-0 win over Yokohama F. Marinos before the international break.
Fujimoto is set to face what is surely his toughest test to date, though, as he takes on the incredibly stingy Sanfrecce Hiroshima defence. Hiroshima have conceded just one goal through their first four matches, the best defensive record in the league. They’ve also kept three consecutive clean sheets, which is quite an impressive feat.
But on the other hand, Hiroshima’s attack hasn’t been nearly as impressive thus far. They have scored just three times in their first four games, which is a disappointing return.
With Hiroshima’s difficulties in front of goal, their defence will have even more pressure on them to keep the in-form Fujimoto in check. If Hiroshima successfully keep the Oita frontman quiet, they stand a great chance of picking up some more points away from home.
Gamba Osaka vs Vissel Kobe
Gamba Osaka have been scoring goals for fun like France thus far this season. They are co-top scorers with nine goals through four games, with Ademilson and Kosuke Onose contributing five of them. However, they have also shipped in eight goals, which is the second-worst defensive record in the entire league.
Although, they did manage to keep their first clean sheet of the season with a 1-0 win over defending champion Kawasaki Frontale just before the international break.
But that defensive solidity will be put to the test when they face the big-name stars of Vissel Kobe. David Villa has settled into life in Japan well. He’s already fired 18 shots in his first four games, with two of those resulting in goals. Meanwhile, captain Lukas Podolski got his first goal of the season in Kobe’s 1-1 draw with Shimizu S-Pulse.
The combination of Osaka’s potent offence, questionable defence, and Kobe’s star power has the potential to produce a wildly entertaining match which can provide several of the best J-League 2019 highlights to date.
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