Nagoya Grampus will be looking to stretch their impressive unbeaten streak when they welcome bottom-three outfit Albirex Niigata in the final fixture of the first half of the 2025 J1 League season.
The hosts find themselves just one point above the drop zone despite their recent resurgence, while Albi remain firmly in trouble, sitting 19th and four points adrift, albeit with a game in hand.
Match preview
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Nagoya have picked up form at the right time, finally hitting their stride after a dismal start to the campaign which saw them go six matches without a win, a stretch that included four defeats and just two draws.
They appeared to be turning a corner after that slump, securing maximum points in back-to-back league outings, only to claim just one victory from their next five (L4).
However, that inconsistency has since given way to a steadier rhythm, with Nagoya starting their unbeaten run with a commanding 3-0 win away at Shimizu S-Pulse.
That result was followed with a trio of draws — a goalless encounter with Fagiano Okayama, a gritty 1-1 result away at Kyoto Sanga and another stalemate by the same scoreline at Avispa Fukuoka.
The most eye-catching display of this stretch came last time out, when Kenta Hasegawa's men pulled off a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Champions League hopefuls Urawa Red Diamonds, courtesy of late goals from Sho Inahaki in the 83rd minute and Kensuke Nagai deep into stoppage time.
That spirited finish took Nagoya to 20 points from 18 matches, with five wins and five draws under their belt and a tally of 21 goals scored against 26 conceded, leaving Grampus in 16th place as they aim to put further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.
Encouragingly, four of those victories have come on their own turf, where Hasegawa's side have been relatively strong with two stalemates and just two losses from eight outings, a record that should give them belief ahead of this clash.
That optimism is further strengthened by their recent dominance in this fixture, with Nagoya winning each of their last four home league meetings with Albirex, scoring nine goals across that run while conceding only three and keeping clean sheets in the last two.
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Meanwhile, Albirex arrive at this contest on the back of a spirited 2-1 success over Shonan Bellmare, a result that required a comeback sparked by Kaito Taniguchi's equaliser and sealed by Yota Komi's strike.
That victory was only their third in the top flight this season, though all of them have been hard-earned and separated by dry spells that have left the team chasing stability throughout the campaign.
It took Albirex until their ninth league outing to secure their first three points, with the second coming between a three-game winless run and a longer four-match drought, before their most recent success.
Interestingly, two of their victories have come on the road, both secured by slender margins within their last four away outings in the league (D1, L1), though Daisuke Kimori's men lost 2-1 to Okayama in their most recent trip.
Albirex have managed 19 goals this season while shipping 24 at the other end, a difference that underlines their vulnerability in defence and inability to consistently convert attacking play into points.
Team News
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Nagoya manager Hasegawa is expected to retain the 3-4-2-1 shape used in the win over Urawa, with Kasper Junker again leading the line as the lone striker.
Inagaki has been instrumental to the team's attacking thrust, notching his seventh league goal of the campaign with that equaliser last time out – no other player in the squad has managed as many, and the 33-year-old is expected to hold on to his place in the middle of the park.
Albirex are also likely to stick with the same setup that saw them through the previous outing unscathed, as they closed out that encounter without picking up any fresh injury concerns.
As a result, Taniguchi will look to build on his recent goal while the team's leading scorer, Motoki Hasegawa, who has six to his name in the league, aims to rediscover his touch in front of goal as both men combine in attack once again.
Nagoya Grampus possible starting lineup:
Pisano; Hara, Misuni, Sato; Nakayama, Inagaki, Shiihashi, Tokumoto; Izumi, Mateus; Junker
Albirex Niigata possible starting lineup:
Yoshimitsu; Fujiwara, Geria, Fitzgerald, Horigome; Komi, Arai, Hoshi, Okumura; Taniguchi, Hasegawa
We say: Nagoya Grampus 2-1 Albirex Niigata
Nagoya have struck exactly twice in all four of their league victories at home this season – all of which have come in their last six – while the visitors have found the net once in each of their previous four top-flight trips.
We expect both teams to stick to those patterns, with the hosts edging it in the end, buoyed by their stronghold in this particular fixture.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
