Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches of the 23rd round of the Japanese J-League will be played on Saturday at the "Sapporo Atsubetsu Stadium," where the local Sapporo will host Kobe. Here is the prediction for this match from the Dailysports experts.
Sapporo
The "Red and Blacks" finished mid-table last season, but this new season has been disastrous for Sapporo. Currently, Mihailo Petrovic's team occupies the last place in the J-League standings, having garnered only 11 points in 22 matches. They are already 12 points behind Sagan Tosu, who hold the safe 17th position.
In their last league match, Sapporo played away against Kashima and lost 0-2. Over the weekend, the team defeated Yamagata in the Japan Cup with a score of 6-3, breaking a run of five consecutive losses. As for their away record, Sapporo has yet to win on the road, while at home they have secured two victories against seven defeats.
Kobe
Takayuki Yoshida's team has had a strong start to the new J-League season and currently sits in fourth place. Vissel Kobe is just one point shy of the top three. In recent matches, Kobe has shown significant improvement, drawing close to the top tier.
Kobe has achieved 12 wins in 22 matches, losing only six times. In their last match, Kobe played away against Hiroshima and won 3-1. In terms of their away record, Kobe has secured seven victories and only two losses in 11 matches.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- Kobe has defeated Sapporo in eight of their last nine meetings, never losing.
- Both teams have scored in four of the last five matches.
- Three of the last five matches have seen over 2.5 goals scored.
Sapporo vs Kobe Prediction
Kobe is considered the clear favorite in this encounter, with odds of 1.45 for an away victory. We believe Kobe will face no issues. Our bet is "Kobe to win with a handicap (-1.0)" with odds of 1.70.
