In a clash between two in-form sides, title hopefuls Kyoto Sanga make the trip to mid-table outfit Avispa Fukuoka on Monday for round 24 of the J1 League at Best Denki Stadium.

Both teams come into this encounter buoyed by penalty shootout triumphs in the Emperor's Cup, and they will aim to ride that wave of momentum into this clash.

Match preview

Kim Myung-hwi will be relieved to see his side edge into the fourth round of the domestic cup, but the gaffer is bound to be concerned by their recent bluntness in attack, especially after drawing a blank against third-tier Giravanz Kitakyushu over 120 minutes of football.

That result followed a goalless draw with Vissel Kobe in their most recent top flight outing, marking the second straight match where Avispa have failed to find the net, although there is no denying the solid streak they are currently enjoying.

Fukuoka are now unbeaten in five matches across all competitions, having picked up seven points from their last three in the top flight — the same tally they managed in the previous ten combined.

That resurgence has seen Myung-hwi’s men climb to 12th with 30 points from 22 matches, and while they have found the net just 19 times, their backline has shipped 21, though Hachi can be difficult to break down when in the groove.

Avispa have recorded nine clean sheets in the league this season, and perhaps most telling is that six of their eight wins in J1 have come by a lone goal, which will give them belief heading into this one considering how their last encounter with Kyoto played out.  

Fukuoka ran out 1-0 winners in the reverse fixture, though they did fall to a 2-1 defeat the last time these two met at Best Denki Stadium.

That said, Avispa are currently enjoying a seven-match unbeaten run at home across all competitions, with four wins, five draws and three losses in the league on their own turf so far this season.

Meanwhile, Kyoto have run into a slight bump on the road, failing to win in consecutive away matches in the league for the first time since their opening two trips of the 2025 campaign (D1, L1).

However, that has done little to dent their overall momentum, with Cho Kwi-jae’s men now six matches unbeaten in all competitions, a run extended thanks to a penalty shootout win over Yokohama FC in midweek.

Sanga have been devastating in attack of late, hitting at least three goals in three of their last four league matches and now boasting the most prolific frontline in the division with 38 goals, although their 27 conceded leaves plenty of room for improvement at the back.  

Kyoto’s transformation this season has been eye-catching, with the club sitting third in the standings on 41 points from 23 matches, just three behind the summit, which is a remarkable turnaround for a side that had not finished higher than 13th in the last three years.

Avispa Fukuoka J1 League form:

Avispa Fukuoka form (all competitions):

Kyoto Sanga J1 League form:

Kyoto Sanga form (all competitions):

Team News

Head coach Myung-hwi is expected to stick with his preferred 3-4-2-1 setup and is likely to field a similar eleven to the one that featured in the cup during the week.

Centre-back Tomoya Ando is Avispa’s top scorer but was a surprise omission last time out and could return to the squad if his absence was simply a case of rotation, while Masaya Tashiro is suspended due to accumulated bookings.

Shosei Usui also missed the cup clash and remains a doubt, meaning Wellington may be handed a third consecutive start up front.    

Defenders Jurato Ikeda and Itsuki Oda are still sidelined, though centre-forward Shahab Zahebi made his return from injury in a 14-minute cameo off the bench.

Centre-forward Rafael Elias marked his return to action after missing five straight games with a goal from the bench in midweek.

The Brazilian leads Kyoto’s scoring chart in the J1 with eight goals and could lead the line here, possibly flanked by Marco Tulio and Taichi Hara.

Midfielder Takuji Yonemoto is expected to miss out again, having sat out the last two matches through injury.

Avispa Fukuoka possible starting lineup:

Obata; Nara, Ando, Kamijima; Fujimoto, Matsuoka, Akino, Iwasaki; Kitajima, Konno; Wellington     

Kyoto Sanga possible starting lineup:

Ota; Fukuda, Miyamoto, Suzuki, Sato; Kawasaki, Fukuoka, Gomes; Tulio, Elias, Hara

We say: Avispa Fukuoka 1-2 Kyoto Sanga

While both teams are enjoying strong spells, Kyoto have been the more convincing outfit across the season and with half of their away fixtures ending in victory, they should just about edge what is likely to be a tightly fought encounter.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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