Vissel Kobe and Yokohama F Marinos are flying high in the J1 League. The rivals go into round No 17 level on points at the top of the table with 33.
Nagoya Grampus isn’t far behind with 32 points. Depending on the results for round No 17, there could be a shakeup at the top of the standings.
Cerezo Osaka are seeking a seventh straight match unbeaten against Vissel Kobe in all competitions. Cerezo did the league double over Vissel last season by a combined score of 4-0.
Vissel Kobe are unbeaten in six straight J1 League matches. They sit at the head of the table thanks to a +21-goal difference. Vissel drew their last two away matches but are unbeaten on the road this season.
Cerezo are not out of the title race. They sit sixth and are seven points off Vissel Kobe in the standings. Cerezo are coming off a 3-1 loss to Nagoya Grampus. The team took just 13 points from 24 on offer at home.
Sagan Tosu will play Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo for a third time this season. The clubs previously met in the Japan Cup. The first encounter finished nil-nil and Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo claimed a 4-1 win in the second match.
Hokkaido defeated Sagan Tosu just once in their last six meetings. They go into the match after picking up 12 points from the last 18 points on offer. The team scored a fantastic 17 goals but conceded 11 times.
Sagan Tosu are unbeaten in five straight matches. They collected 11 points from the last six matches in the league. Sagan are unbeaten in back-to-back home games.
FC Tokyo went unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Gamba Osaka. The teams met earlier this season in the cup, with Gamba winning 3-0 at home and FC Tokyo posting a 1-0 win on their home ground.
Gamba Osaka are near the foot of the table and go into the weekend in 15th place. The team are on a two-match winning streak. But Gamba Osaka have won just three times in the J1 League this term.
Tokyo are also in the lower half of the J1 League standings. The capital club are on a two-match losing streak. Both matches saw over 2.5 goals and both teams find the back of the net. FC Tokyo have had trouble keeping goals out in recent fixtures.
Kawasaki Frontale went unbeaten in their last six games against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Frontale won four times and drew twice against their round 17 opponents.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima are fourth in the standings and only four points off the league leaders. The club is in the title race and could improve its championship chances with a win over Kawasaki Frontale.
Kawasaki Frontale are 10th in the division and 12 points off the top of the table. They do have a game in hand, which could help them make a move up the standings. Kawasaki Frontale won four of their last six games and collected 12 points from the last 18 on offer.