On Tuesday morning, Vegalta Sendai host Gamba Osaka at the Yurtec Stadium Sendai, as the home team looks to move closer to safety in the Japanese J-League.
Vegalta Sendai are currently 18th in the Japanese top-flight table, three points from the safety of 16th place. A poor goal difference does them no favours either, as only two teams in the league have a worst goal difference. However, they do have a game in hand on most of their rivals at the bottom of the table.
Makoto Teguramori’s team head into this clash in strange form, as although they are winless in their last five J-League outings, they have also suffered just one defeat in their last seven matches.
The fact that four of those five winless matches have produced draws is a crucial factor in the seemingly poor run of league form.
Vegalta Sendai are also winless in four home matches in the J-League. Once again, they have been hard to beat on home soil in the Japanese top-flight, losing just one of their previous five matches.
Gamba Osaka are just five points clear of the home team in the table but are currently 13th in the J-League with a game in hand on Tuesday’s opponents.
The visitors have won their last two league matches against Oita Trinita and Consadole Sapporo. However, those two victories come on the back of two straight defeats against Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers.
The recent run of league form arguably sums up the inconsistent nature of the visitor’s recent form.
Gamba Osaka are unbeaten in three away games in the J-League, having recorded back-to-back victories. They have also kept three straight sheets in the Japanese top-flight.
Forebet predicts that this clash will be a tight one, which will result in a low-scoring draw that will do the home sides chances of escaping the relegation zone no good.