Thursday, June 19

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Sports Mole previews Saturday's J1 League clash between Kashiwa Reysol and Kyoto Sanga, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Second will welcome third in Japan's top flight on Saturday, as Kashiwa Reysol host Kyoto Sanga.

The home team have collected 37 points from their 20 matches this season to occupy second in the J1 League table, while Kyoto are third, three points behind their opponents this weekend.

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Match preview

Kashiwa have been a standout side in Japan's top flight this season, boasting a record of 10 wins, seven draws and three defeats from their 20 matches to collect 37 points, which has left them in second spot in the table.

Toru Oniki's side are four points behind the division leaders Kashima Antlers, while they sit three points ahead of third-placed Kyoto, demonstrating the importance of this weekend's contest.

Kashiwa finished fifth in Japan's top division last season, while they were champions for the eighth time back in 2016, so their presence towards the top of the table is not a surprise.

The home side will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 victory over Tokyo Verdy last time out, but they did suffer a shock 2-0 defeat to Toyo Uni in the Emperor Cup on June 11.

Kyoto, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 3-0 victory over Tokyo FC, and they have won three of their last five matches in Japan's top flight during an impressive run.

Cho Kwi-jae's side have a record of 10 wins, four draws and six defeats from their 20 league matches this season, with 34 points, as mentioned, enough for third spot in the table.

That said, Kyoto are only two points ahead of seventh spot, so a lot could change in a short space of time.

The visitors have been in strong form on their travels during the current season, picking up 19 points from 11 matches courtesy of a record of six wins, one draw and four defeats.

Each of the last three top-flight fixtures between Kyoto and Kashiwa have finished level, including a 1-1 draw when the two teams last locked horns at the start of April. 

Kashiwa Reysol J1 League form:

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Kashiwa Reysol form (all competitions):

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Kyoto Sanga J1 League form:

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Kyoto Sanga form (all competitions):

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Team News

Kashiwa will be missing Kohei Tezuka, Koki Kumasaka and Riki Harakawa through injury on Saturday.

Yuku Kakita has been in strong goalscoring form this season, finding the back of the net on six occasions in all competitions, and he is once again set to feature in the final third of the field.

Meanwhile, there will be another start for Masaki Watai, but Mao Hosoya may be named on the bench.

As for Kyoto, Rafael Elias missed out last time out due to a fitness problem, and the 26-year-old, who has scored nine times this season, remains a huge doubt.

Murilo de Souza is in line to start, with the Brazilian set to feature in a wide area, while there should also be a spot in the final third of the field for Shun Nagasawa.

Kashiwa Reysol possible starting lineup:

Kojima; Harada, Koga, Mitsumaru; Kubo, Yamada, Nakagawa, Koyamatsu; Koizumi, Kakita, Watai

Kyoto Sanga possible starting lineup:

Ota; Fukuda, Suzuki, Miyamoto, Sugai; Kawasaki, Fukuoka, Yonemoto; De Souza, Nagasawa, Hiraga

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We say: Kashiwa Reysol 1-1 Kyoto Sanga

 

There is not an awful lot between these two teams in terms of quality, and we are finding it hard to separate them on this occasion, ultimately settling on a low-scoring draw.

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

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