David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Machida Zelvia
Nagoya Grampus
One of the matches of the 22nd round of the J-League will be played on Saturday in Machida, where the local club Machida Zelvia will host Nagoya at the Gion Stadium. Here is the prediction for this match from the Dailysports expert team.
Machida Zelvia
Machida Zelvia won J-League 2 last season, and they have started excellently in the top division under the guidance of Go Kuroda. Currently, Machida Zelvia sits atop the J-League standings with 43 points from 21 matches, holding a five-point lead over their nearest rival, Kashima.
This lead was extended in the last round, where Machida Zelvia secured an impressive 3-1 away victory against third-placed Gamba Osaka. Simultaneously, their main competitor lost 3-1 away to Kobe. At home, Machida Zelvia has recorded five wins and three losses in ten matches. However, they have managed to secure only one point from their last two home games.
Nagoya
The "Grampus" finished sixth last season, but their performance in the current J-League campaign has been underwhelming. After 21 matches, Nagoya has accumulated 27 points, placing them 11th in the standings, 11 points adrift of the top three.
In their last outing, Kenta Hasegawa's team played an away match against Cerezo Osaka and lost 1-2. Overall, Nagoya has been unable to secure a win in their last six J-League matches, earning only two points from draws. Away from home, Nagoya has neither drawn nor lost, with five wins and five defeats in ten matches.
Interesting facts and head-to-head history
- Machida Zelvia defeated Nagoya 1-0 in the first-round away match.
- The "Both Teams to Score" bet has only been successful in two of their last four matches.
- In their only home match against Nagoya, Machida Zelvia lost 3-4.
Machida Zelvia vs Nagoya Prediction
Machida Zelvia is the favorite in this encounter. Bookmakers offer odds of 1.97 for a home victory. Given Nagoya's recent poor form, our bet is "Machida Zelvia to Win" with odds of 1.97.
