Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Kashima Antlersvs.Consadole

sportsmole.co.uk, 4 July 2024, 13:12
Two teams at opposite ends of the J1 League table clash on Saturday when title-hunting Kashima Antlers take on bottom-of-the-league Consadole Sapporo at the Kashima Soccer Stadium.

The hosts sit second in the league and trail league-leaders Machida Zelvia by five points, while the visitors have just 11 points from 21 matches, leaving them nine points adrift of safety.

Match preview

Kashima Antlers come into this game not only in the chase for the title, currently trailing the league leaders by five points, but also battling to keep their place inside the top two.

Third-placed Gamba Osaka are behind them only on goal difference, while a further six teams are within just six points of their position, largely owing to a recent downturn in form from Ranko Popovic's men.

After a disappointing opening to the season, Kashima Antlers sat ninth on matchday eight, but Popovic's side quickly put together a run of 11 matches without defeat that saw them rapidly rise into second place.

More recently that run saw the hosts draw three-in-a-row before eventually falling to defeat against fourth-placed Vissel Kobe, a disappointing spell without victory that has allowed teams below them to make up ground.

Japan's most successful club now have the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways and continue battling for both a top-three finish and their record-extending ninth title as they come up against Consadole, who sit at the bottom of the table and have lost in all of their last seven league outings.

A victory for relegation rivals Sagan Tosu in their game in hand has left Mihailo Petrovic's side nine points adrift of safety, leaving them in desperate need of a run of results.

That will be a tough ask for Consadole in their upcoming matches though as they are set to face second-placed Kashima Antlers on Saturday before hosting fourth-placed Vissel Kobe in the following fixture.

While Petrovic's men have been extremely disappointing in the league they remain in both cup competitions and Petrovic will be hoping his team can replicate their cup form in the coming weeks as they aim to extend their current eight-year stay in the division.

Kashima Antlers J1 League form:

W

W

D

D

D

L

Kashima Antlers form (all competitions):

Consadole Sapporo J1 League form:

L

L

L

L

L

L

Consadole Sapporo form (all competitions):

Team News

The hosts were without top scorer Yuma Suzuki, who has 10 goals in 20 league appearances, for their defeat to Vissel Kobe as the striker served a suspension, but Suzuki should return for this one.

A disappointing performance in that defeat could lead Popovic to make wholesale changes as he looks for a much-improved display this time around, meaning players such as Tomoya Fujii and Shu Morooka may be given a chance from the start.

As for the visitors, they are expected to remain without Yuya Asano in the forward areas with the attacker still yet to return from an injury he sustained in Consadole's last league victory.

They are also set to be without Toya Nakamura after the defender was forced off with injury late on in the game against Albirex Niigata, leaving Yamato Okada likely to replace him.

Kashima Antlers possible starting lineup:

Hayakawa; Nono, Ueda, Sekigawa, Anzai; Sano, Chinen; Morooka, Nago, Fujii; Suzuki

Consadole Sapporo possible starting lineup:

Sugeno; Takao, Ieizumi, Okada; Tanaka, Baba, Komai, Suga; Kobayashi, Hasegawa; Omori

We say: Kashima Antlers 2-0 Consadole Sapporo

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two places separate Willem II and NAC Breda in the Eredivisie table heading into Sunday's gameweek 13 meeting at Koning Willem II Stadion. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League football returns this weekend, with the final international break of 2024 now being completed. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Jack Grealish has revealed whether or not he would ever appear on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has insisted he will remain Manchester City manager even if the club are relegated over alleged breaches of financial rules. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming for a victory to start Patrick Vieira's tenure positively, Genoa seek maximum against a Cagliari side one place ahead of them in the Serie A table ahead of Sunday's gameweek 13 match at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim takes charge of his inaugural Manchester United match on Sunday afternoon, when his Red Devils side face Ipswich Town at Portman Road in the Premier League. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is guaranteed to set a new club record in Saturday's Premier League home meeting with Nottingham Forest. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton boss Russell Martin has confirmed that both Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek will be sidelined for "a number of weeks". 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alistair Johnston has claimed that he is "exactly where I want to be" as he enters the prime years of his career after signing a contract extension at Celtic until the summer of 2029. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ajax will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in the Eredivisie this weekend when they face off against PEC Zwolle at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Sunday afternoon. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League champions Manchester City will be looking to return to winning ways when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Looking to strengthen their case for a top-six finish, Swansea City will welcome Premier League-chasing Leeds United to Swansea. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea's hopes of claiming all three points against Leicester City may be tempered by the recent record following international windows. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Lionel Messi continues to break records while in the twilight of his career - but one stat has proved impossible for even him to top. 22 November 2024 talksport.com No list of all-time Premier League goals can be complete without Tony Yeboah's memorable screamer against Liverpool in August 1995. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ipswich Town midfielder Kalvin Phillips is eligible to return from suspension for the Tractor Boys' Premier League showdown with Manchester United at Portman Road on Sunday. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Comments from Rodri about Vinicius Jr during an interview sparked a feisty response from Neymar on Instagram. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim could be working around a defensive selection crisis for his first Premier League match in charge against Ipswich Town on Sunday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City midfielder Rodri has seemingly opened the door to a future move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Premier League clubs are not renowned for their patience when firing managers, and we've already had our first sacking of 2024/25. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Returning to the Roma hotseat for a third spell in charge, Claudio Ranieri will lead the Giallorossi into Sunday's Serie A showdown with Napoli. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has conceded that Ben White is likely to be out for months rather than weeks after undergoing an operation on his knee. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal expert Charles Watts believes that Gunners new boy Mikel Merino has been "unfairly judged" on some of his performances so far in the 2024-25 campaign. 22 November 2024 talksport.com What would you do if you first big break in football came with your fierce rivals? 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk One of the most unlikely matchups we could have anticipated heading into the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs will transpire on Sunday as Orlando City face Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference semi-finals at Inter & Co Stadium. 22 November 2024 talksport.com Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammate Javier Mascherano is set to be the new head coach of Inter Miami, according to reports. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both aiming to kick-start their Premier League campaigns after stalling before the international break, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace convene at Villa Park on Saturday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sean Dyche will look to extend his 100% record over Thomas Frank as Everton manager, when Brentford visit Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fourth meets fifth in Saturday's fascinating Premier League battle at the Emirates, as Arsenal welcome Nottingham Forest to the English capital. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Seeking a fifth win from six Premier League home games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth host the Seagulls in Saturday's top-flight affair at the Vitality Stadium.
Tomorrow at 14:00
A
Verona Verona
-
sch
Inter Inter
Tomorrow at 20:00
L1
Reims Reims
-
sch
Lyon Lyon