Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
Match preview
Osaka have put together a solid run in their last ten matches: suffering only two defeats, the "Sakura" secured six wins and twice ended in a draw.
A vibrant attack, slick combinations, and the confident play of Rafael Ratão make the team's offense the most productive in the league. Unfortunately, this comes at a price – their attacking focus allows opponents to easily break through their defense, resulting in 28 goals conceded over 21 rounds, making their back line one of the weakest in the league.
Tokyo Verdy, on the other hand, are plagued by attacking woes, having scored just 13 goals in 20 matches (the league's poorest attack), which is reflected in their results: only one win in their last five outings.
Despite their struggles up front, matches involving Verdy are still high-scoring: in each of their last four games, three or more goals have been scored.
Probable lineups
Cerezo Osaka: Fukui, Okuda, Nishio, Hatanaka, Noborizato, Kida, Kagawa, Fernandes, Vitor, Andrade, Ratão
Tokyo Verdy: Vidotto, Miyahara, Tsunashima, Taniguchi, Onaga, Saito, Morita, Arai, Shirai, Hirakawa, Yamami
Match facts and head-to-head
In the last five meetings, Osaka have three wins, one draw, and one victory for Tokyo (aggregate score 6:4)
Tokyo Verdy have won only one of their last five matches
Cerezo Osaka have conceded at least one goal in four of their last five matches
Prediction
Given the head-to-head history, the home side's defensive frailties, and both teams' attacking potential, my recommendation is the bet "Both teams to score – YES" at odds of 1.8.
