Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
In the 21st round of the Japanese J-League, Yokohama will face Hiroshima on Sunday, June 22. The match kicks off at 11:00 Central European Time. Here’s my betting preview for this clash.
Yokohama vs Hiroshima: match facts and head-to-head
- Hiroshima are unbeaten in three straight matches: two wins and a draw.
- On the road, Hiroshima have suffered just one defeat in their last five games.
- Yokohama have lost only once in their previous six home fixtures.
- Hiroshima have conceded just 15 goals in 19 rounds—the best defense in the J-League.
- Yokohama have the league’s weakest attack with only 13 goals scored.
- Both teams have the same percentage of clean-sheet wins—27% each.
- Hiroshima have lost 23% of their matches to nil this season, Yokohama—27%.
- In their most recent head-to-head, Hiroshima won 1-0. Across the last five meetings, Hiroshima have claimed three victories, Yokohama one.
Yokohama vs Hiroshima: match preview
Yokohama are languishing at the bottom of the table and fighting for survival. The team sits 19th with 19 points from 20 matches. They’re just one point away from the 17th, safety position, but all their direct relegation rivals have a game in hand, putting Yokohama at a disadvantage.
Hiroshima are much higher up the standings and are battling for a top-three finish. They have 33 points from 19 matches and also have a game in hand. With a win, Hiroshima could leapfrog the third and fourth-placed teams, as the gap is just one point. Moreover, they are only four points off second place. The fight for the top three promises to be intense.
Probable lineups
- Yokohama: Ichikawa; Fukumori, Nduka, Yazaki; Yamane, Yamada, Lara, Shimbo; Komai, Lukian, Suzuki
- Hiroshima: Osaka; Shiotani, Araki, Sasaki; Nakano, Higashi, Kawabe, Nakamura; Maeda, Kinoshita, Germain
Prediction
The teams are at opposite ends of the table, fighting for very different objectives—Yokohama for survival, Hiroshima for a place in the top three. I expect a tense and exciting match, and I’m backing over 1.5 total goals at odds of 1.5.
