Team News
Vissel Kobe – DF Iwanami will miss the game on Japan U-19 duty. GK Tokushige and DF Hayashi definitely out. FW Ogawa is back in training, a possible selection. FW Yoshida and DF Soma undergoing fitness tests.
Yokohama F.Marinos – DF Amano is a long term absentee who is now back in training, but not yet fit?

Head to Head – 8 wins for Marinos, just 4 for Vissel and NINE draws in this fixture since 2003.

Match Preview – Vissel Kobe went through September with loss after loss – October is was draws galore, so November starts with a win? They are just three points above Gamba Osaka in the final relegation spot, and only five above Niigata one spot below. A win here would go a LONG way to ensuring safety in J1 and allow them to build on the fine young players that they have. Injuries and bad luck have plagued the team and they SHOULD be higher than they are. Relegation would not do them justice, and could well see them lose thee promise of the likes of Ogawa, Morioka and Inui, among others, as J1 teams snap them up.

Yokohama F.Marinos are in 7th position, five points off an ACL spot which must seem far away now but is much closer than it ever would have seemed after their dire start to the season. Rumours of Nakamura moving back to Celtic abound right now, and may unsettle the team, or give the fans something to attack the team with, and the promise of Yuji Ono in 2011 has completely disappeared this season. Just 38 goals in their 30 games so far has not been good enough, although their defence is the best in J1 up to now. more goals, more points, more confidence, they could be much higher – find a natural goalscorer and have a great 2013? For now, they have little to play for and may suffer in this game. EXPECT a WIN for VISSEL KOBE!