Albirex Niigata – DF Suzuki returns from the Olympics. DF Uchida out for the season. FW Musashi Suzuki out for three months.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MF Hwang is back from Korea’s Olympic outing.

10 wins for Sanfrecce, 5 for Albirex, and 7 draws since 2003, that season being in J2 before both teams entered J1.

Sanfrecce are top of J1, and well-deserving of the position. But the last time they made the summit they lost their next game. if they are to win J1 they need to kill off opponents and beat the pressure that they feel. Albirex Niigata are slowly sliding into J2, even though they have won 2 of their last 5 games. FC Tokyo and Consadole Sapporo were their victims, but I can’t see them adding Sanfrecce’s scalp to that list. The likes of Bruno Lopes, HIrai and Yano are just not scoring goals, or looking confident in front of goal – just 15 goals in 21 games says it all. That’s level with Sapporo’s goalscoring record. Having noted their forwards’ lack of goals, the Albirex defence should be commended for only conceding 25 goals – almost comparable to teams like Vegalta (20) or Sanfrecce themselves (23), but those teams score goals also.

This may be low-scoring but EXPECT a WIN for SANFECCE HIROSHIMA!