Including a 3-1 win over Kyoto Immortals last time out in the Nippon Professional League, Kawasaki Frontale have scored three goals in each of their last three league games, and are now only two points adrift of table-topping Yokohama Mariners.
Yokohama Mariners have lost two matches in a row, while Kawasaki Strikers have won two matches in a row, improving their chances of winning 3 consecutive Japanese Championships. Veteran Yuki Kobayashi has been in good form lately, scoring in his last 3 matches before beating Kyoto Immortals, proving that he has not aged well.
Kobe Victory have also been on a roll, winning all five of their matches, which has kept them away from relegation and protected them from relegation. The main reason for their strong performance is the return of Isao Osako, which has greatly improved their attacking power. However, if Kobe Victory want to bag some points in this match, the backline defense definitely needs to keep up their good performance, or else they will not be able to lose against the strong attacking strikers, who will be in front of the goal.
