Consadole Sapporo – the injury list got a lot smaller recently but recent new FW Tele will be out injured.
Omiya Ardija – FW Kataoka out injured.

2 wins for Sapporo, 7 for Omiya and 3 draws, mostly in J2 over a decade of results.

Omiya Ardija pulled out of the relegation places last week on a vital win over Sagan Tosu and will be looking to consolidate that “safe” position with a win over hapless bottom team Consadole Sapporo. This is so often when a team slips up in J1, when we all think they have an easy win! Sapporo’s injury list has cleared recently and they were still in with a chance ten minutes from the end of their tie with Reysol last week. Home advantage, the feeling that Omiya are not much better, and there may be a “shock” on the cards?

While the incoming Brazilians of Sapporo have not impressed, and Tele is still injured, Ardija’s team has struggled to find the net, with just 23 goals scored… will this game be one of weak defences being taken apart by weak forward lines? Yu Hasegawa has scored some important goals for Ardija, but is far from consistent. Or can we expect a low scoring spectacle of boredom? I am going for A DRAW here today!