Preview: FC Tokyo vs. Cerezo Osaka - prediction, team news, lineups

FC Tokyo will be aiming to end a four-game losing run in all competitions when they continue their J1 League campaign with a home fixture against Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.

The home side are currently 18th in the J1 League table, picking up only 19 points from their 18 matches this season, while Cerezo Osaka are eighth, boasting 29 points from their 20 league games this term.

Match preview

FC Tokyo boast a record of five wins, four draws and nine defeats from their 18 league matches this season, with a total of 19 points leaving them down in 18th spot in the table.

Rikizo Matsuhashi's side will actually enter this game off the back of four straight defeats in all competitions, including a 3-0 reverse to second-placed Kyoto last time out.

Worryingly, FC Tokyo have not scored in their last three matches, conceding seven times in the process, while their last victory proved to be a 1-0 success over Vissel Kobe towards the start of May.

The Tokyo outfit have one of the worst home records in the division this season, picking up only 11 points from their nine matches in front of their own fans, suffering four defeats in the process.

Cerezo Osaka, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 5-0 victory over Arterivo in the Emperor Cup, and this will be their first league fixture since the start of the month.

Indeed, Arthur Papas's side recorded a 4-2 victory over Shimizu in their last J1 League match, and they have actually won three of their last four games in all competitions during a strong run.

Cerezo Osaka have a record of eight wins, five draws and seven defeats from their 20 league games this season, with a total of 29 points leaving them in eighth spot in the table.

The visitors are only actually five points off second position, and they have picked up 11 points on their travels during the current campaign - more than FC Tokyo have collected at home.

Cerezo Osaka are actually winless in their last four top-flight matches against FC Tokyo, although the last meeting between the two sides in April finished 1-1.

FC Tokyo J1 League form:

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FC Tokyo form (all competitions):

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Cerezo Osaka J1 League form:

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Cerezo Osaka form (all competitions):

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Team News

FC Tokyo have not reported any fresh injury concerns for Saturday's fixture.

However, Tsuyoshi Ogashiwa, Henrique Trevisan and Yuta Arai remain on the sidelines alongside Taiyo Yamaguchi and Kim Seung-gyu.

Soma Anzai has scored twice for FC Tokyo during the current campaign, and there is again expected to be a spot in the final third of the field for the 22-year-old.

As for Cerezo Osaka, Shunta Tanaka, Shion Homma, Satoki Uejo and Yuichi Hirano are out through injury.

Thiago Andrade has scored five times in 20 appearances this season, and there is again expected to be a spot in the final third of the field for the Brazilian.

Meanwhile, there should also be positions in the XI for both Sota Kitano and Rafael Ratao, with the latter the team's leading goalscorer during the current season with 11.

FC Tokyo possible starting lineup:

Hatano; Koizumi, Endo, Kimoto; Morishige, Doi, Higashi, Ko; Lopez, Tawaratsumida, Anzai

Cerezo Osaka possible starting lineup:

Fukui; Okuda, Cendagorta, Nakajima, Nishio; Hatanaka, Fernandes; Kida, Ratao, Kitano; Andrade

We say: FC Tokyo 1-2 Cerezo Osaka

This is a tough match to call, and FC Tokyo are certainly capable of making this a tricky match for Cerezo Osaka. However, we are expecting the away team's extra quality to help them secure a valuable three points on Saturday.

Written by
Matt Law

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