Vegalta Sendai – MF Tomita is suspended. MF Sekiguchi is injured.
Vissel Kobe – DF Okui is suspended. DF Hayashi is out for the season.

5 wins for Sendai, 3 for Kobe, and 3 draws since 2004, Sendai have won the last two.

Vissel were undone by the referee last time out when it seemed they had Jubilo in their back pocket. A red card, and an inexplicably missed foul for the winning goal gave them a defeat that they barely deserved. Centre back Inoha was missed, but will be back from suspension this week. Forming a decent partnership with Kitamoto at the back, Sendai may find it hard to get through. Vissel have the forwards, and the creative midfielder in Nozawa, to pick the pocket of a Sendai defence that has held pretty firm this season – conceding 24 goals in 25 games – and so I am expecting a low scoring game here.

Vegalta’s Brazilian forward Wilson has faltered again – a bad start, followed by a decent run, but now he has slipped back into non-productive ways and Sendai seem to rely too much on Akamine for goals and points. The fact that the back-up for these two is veteran Yanagisawa does not bode well for the busy run-in and the pressure may start to tell on the team.
EXPECT a DRAW!