Just last weekend, Urawa Red Diamonds took on Yamaha Iwata on the road and took the lead shortly after the match started, however, the match was equalized just three minutes later, and the match ended in a 1:1 draw.
Nevertheless, Urawa Red Diamonds showed strong offensive organization in this matchup, however, a goalkeeper's mistake in an overhead kick scramble exposed the team's defensive shortcomings. Facing the upcoming Machida Zevia, Urawa Red Diamonds will face a huge test in both offense and defense. Especially goalkeeper Alexandre Schouhous, how he handles the opponent's overhead kicks will be the key to win the game. On the offensive end, Shoya Nakajima's performance is also crucial. He has had an eye-catching season and will probably get another call-up to the Japanese national team.
Machida Zevia, on the other hand, have been in stunning form since their first promotion to the Japanese League. In last week's match, they jumped to the top of the league table after thrashing Tokyo Midori 5:0 in the Capital Derby. The win came thanks to their intense defense from the front and their diverse tactics in attack.
It's worth noting that Machida Sawaiya has no shortage of goal scorers in their squad, but Sho Fujio has been particularly impressive. He is good at taking advantage of gaps and creating threats in the opponent's penalty area, and will undoubtedly be a major concern for the Urawa Red Diamonds defense.
In my opinion, the winner of this match may depend on the quality of the offense in the second half. Although Machida Zevia's offense is slightly better, I still predict they will win on the road.
