FC Tokyo – MF Otake out for the season, DFs Ota, Jang and Hiramatsu out for a few more weeks each, no news on FW Hirayama from the club, MF Hanyu may be set to return but needs match fitness.

Head to Head – 7 wins for Sanfrecce, just one for FC Tokyo and 5 draws since 2004, all in J1.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima sit atop the J.League four points clear of Vegalta Sendai, after the clubs around them all dropped points recently. Having said that, Sanfrecce themselves lost at home to S-Pulse when they topped the division two weeks ago so anything can happen with the “Curse of the Top Team” in J1! But FC Tokyo are seriously tiring and showing dire form right now, with fans seriously worried about them dropping into the relegation battle after such a good start to the season. A win for FC Tokyo here would settle the team, go some way to rebuilding shattered confidence and pull them away from a potential nail-biting final two months. But Tokyo are beset with injuries and inconsistencies and I can’t see them taking out a Sanfrecce riding high at the top, especially if Hisashi Sato – J1 top scorer – is allowed time in front of goal.
With five or six teams poised to challenge, if a decent run can be ut together, the fate of Sanfrecce’s Championship aim is in their own hands now and I can not see them losing today.
EXPECT a WIN for SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA!