Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

Preview: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Kawasaki Frontale - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 22 June 2023, 17:41
Urawa Red Diamonds will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in the J1 League when they welcome Kawasaki Frontale to Saitama Stadium 2002 on Saturday.

The hosts played out a 0-0 draw against Yokohama FC in their last league match, which was enough to see them move into fourth place after the visitors in this match pulled off a 1-0 win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima on the same day.

Match preview

Urawa Red Diamonds earned a 1-1 draw against Shimizu S-Pulse in an Emperor Cup fixture in the week that saw them just about manage to clinch the top spot in an incredibly closely-contested group where three teams finished on the exact same tally of eight points.

With that result, the Red Diamonds are now unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions, including five wins and four draws, and they have also not lost any of their last six in the league, winning three and drawing three.

Having been a defender in his playing career, it is unsurprising that Maciej Skorza has built his side on the foundation of a solid defence, and it has paid off for him so far as his side boasts the best defensive stats this season, conceding only 12 goals in 16 league matches.

However, their defence-first approach has been necessary as they are also the joint lowest-scoring side of any in the top half of the table with 20, which is the same tally that their opponents have managed, and they are down in ninth place.

The hosts will come into this match with great confidence as they have got the better of this opponent in recent times, beating them 2-1 in the J-League Cup last month, thereby remaining unbeaten in their last four meetings dating back to March 2022.

Meanwhile, Kawasaki Frontale are a long way from the side that finished the last three seasons in the AFC Champions League automatic qualification spots and find themselves in mid-table at the halfway point of the season with 24 points, 11 behind Nagoya Grampus in second place.

However, Toru Oniki's side showed incredible spirit after going two goals behind against Shonan Bellmare in the J-League Cup last weekend and came back in the second half to clinch the tie 3-2 with goals by Tatsuki Seko, Shin Yamada and a stoppage-time winner from Daiya Tono.

With that win, the visitors have built up some momentum with four wins in a row in all competitions ahead of this match, scoring nine and conceding five in that time.

While that comeback win would have given them a huge confidence boost, going two goals down against the side second-from-bottom in the league perhaps underlines their major issue this season, which has been their form on the road.

Kawasaki Frontale have lost their last two away league matches, both by a scoreline of 2-1, and have recorded just four wins in eight league outings, which is well below what Oniki would have been targeting at this stage of the season.

Urawa Red Diamonds J1 League form:

W

D

W

W

D

D

Kawasaki Frontale J1 League form:

W

W

L

L

W

W

Team News

Considering his side's defensive strength this season, Skorza will be reluctant to tinker with his backline too much, though Marius Hoibraten is at risk of picking up a suspension, currently on three yellow cards for the season.

Shinzo Koroki has gone five games without a goal, and having been substituted in each of his last three starts, Skorza may be tempted to hand Bryan Linssen a chance in the starting 11 for this one.

Hiroki Sakai will be forced to sit this one out after picking up his fourth caution of the season against Yokohama FC, which could mean that Takuya Ogiwara will start in defence as he did against Shimizu S-Pulse last weekend.

Shuto Tanabe, Jesiel and Marcinho will all miss out on this match as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.

Oniki announced an unchanged side in his last two league matches and having won both, it would come as little surprise if he opted for a similar setup in this one with Akihiro Ienaga, Taisei Miyashiro and Yu Kobayashi leading the line in a 4-3-3 formation.

Urawa Red Diamonds possible starting lineup:

Nishikawa; Ogiwara, Scholz, Holbraten, Akimoto; Ito, Iwao, Okubo, Sekine, Yasui; Koroki

Kawasaki Frontale possible starting lineup:

Kamifukumoto; Yamane, Ominami, Kurumaya, Noborizato; Wakizaka, Schmidt, Oshima; Ienaga, Kobayashi, Miyashiro

We say: Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale

While the visitors have experienced a slight upturn in form in their last two matches, their away record leaves much to be desired. They have conceded two or more goals in four of their last six away games, while the hosts have scored two or more in four of their last six at home. We feel that the visitors will be handed their third consecutive 2-1 away defeat in this one.

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Luka Modric has reportedly decided whether he intends to remain at Real Madrid past the end of the season. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Leicester player Hamza Choudhury was mobbed by fans after arriving for his first senior international call-up. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is allegedly the subject of surprise interest from a Bundesliga club. 18 March 2025 talksport.com A brand-new competition will be taking place this summer, with some of the world's biggest clubs eyeing glory in the USA. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Ola Aina had a hilarious response to discovering he would be sharing a bed with Alex Iwobi on international duty. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Arsenal have added Carabao Cup winning Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to their list of summer transfer targets, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Vying for a place in the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Scotland and Greece will meet for the first leg of their promotion/relegation playoff on Thursday. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Troy Deeney has reiterated his belief that Mohamed Salah is 'not world class' after his Wembley woes. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Papiss Cisse has been convinced to come out of retirement at the age of 39 by a former Newcastle teammate. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams at opposite ends of Group C in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers will clash on Thursday as leaders Japan face Bahrain. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Danny Drinkwater was once given just an hour to leave Chelsea and led to a bust-up with the manager. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have no hope of clawing back their 12-point Premier League deficit to Liverpool despite the Reds' recent problems, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Bayern Munich are reportedly among the clubs who have discovered the asking price of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are one of three Premier League clubs who could reportedly pip rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Sporting Lisbon's in-demand striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brazil and Colombia go head-to-head in the 38th instalment of this international fixture in Brasilia on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk There will be no return to the Brazil fold for Neymar in their clash with Colombia on Thursday night, as he has pulled out of the upcoming squad with injury. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona have all reportedly suffered a major blow in their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak ahead of the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Thomas Tuchel not only raised eyebrows with his selections in his first England squad - but also with his omissions. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Paris Saint-Germain have been given the green light to reschedule a Ligue 1 fixture that could give them the edge against Aston Villa in the Champions League. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes that Jack Grealish "has to accept responsibility" and may need to "win the trust" of both Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel if he wishes to get his career back on track for club and country. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Italy and Germany will continue their long-standing footballing rivalry when they meet in a two-legged quarter-final in the UEFA Nations League this week, starting with a showdown in Milan on Thursday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa are reportedly prepared to cash in on midfielder Enzo Barrenechea during the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com There will be no Premier League football this weekend as the top-flight pauses for a scheduled mid-March break. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal intend to begin formal discussions with Bukayo Saka over a new contract ahead of his comeback from a long-term hamstring injury, according to a report. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Abdukodir Khusanov was welcomed home in style as he received a £135,000 Mercedes upon returning to Uzbekistan for international duty. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest are reportedly ready to fend off Liverpool if they express an interest in one of their star players. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Kosovo will host Iceland at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri on Thursday evening in the first of their two-legged matchup in the UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoffs. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Next season The Premier League will be provided match balls by Puma, a decision that is likely to be an unpopular one with Mikel Arteta. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly prepared to let one of their first-team midfielders leave the club in the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hong Kong and Macao return to international action for the first time in 2025 on Wednesday, when they meet in a friendly at Mong Kok Stadium.