Kobe and Kashima Face Off in Key Clash; Unbeaten Leaders Machida Meet Yokohama FM at MUFG Stadium [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J1 Matchweek 7]

All 10 Matchweek 7 fixtures in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE will be played from 11 to 13 September.
 
Unbeaten leaders Machida face Yokohama FM at MUFG Stadium. They beat Nagoya 3-1 last time out, and the attacking trio of Koki Ogawa, Yuki Soma and Takuma Nishimura could again play a key role. Yokohama FM defeated Kashiwa to claim their first win in three matches. Can Ryo Miyaichi, who scored his first goal in two years, deliver again?
 
Kobe and Kashima meet in a clash between second and third. Kobe are in fine form after beating Nagasaki to make it three wins in a row. Can Yuya Osako, who scored a hat-trick in the 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE Play-Off Round, shine again against his former club? Kashima lost to Urawa to suffer their second straight defeat. Yuma Suzuki is still searching for his first goal of the season.
 
Kyoto host Kashiwa after losing to FC Tokyo last time out and are winless in two. Reorganising a defence that has conceded 11 goals so far will be a priority. Kashiwa lost to Yokohama FM to suffer their second straight defeat. Having failed to score in their last two matches, they will need to rediscover their cutting edge.
 
Mito host Kawasaki Frontale after drawing with Fukuoka to extend their unbeaten run to five matches. Can Kaito Taniguchi, who has yet to find the net since joining, open his account? Kawasaki Frontale beat Shimizu 3-1, with Marcinho scoring twice. He will again be expected to make an impact.
 
Shimizu and Fukuoka meet with both sides on four points, sitting 17th and 16th respectively. Shimizu lost to Kawasaki Frontale and are now winless in five matches. Can Oh Se Hun, who scored his long-awaited first goal of the season, help turn things around? Fukuoka drew with Mito to end their three-match losing run but remain winless in four. Shu Morooka is in good form, while improving their game management in the closing stages, when they have tended to concede, could be key.
 
Gamba Osaka host FC Tokyo after losing to Chiba and are winless in five matches. Can new arrivals such as Koshiro Sumi, who joined after the start of the season, provide the spark they need? FC Tokyo comfortably beat Kyoto to extend their unbeaten run to five matches. Motoki Nagakura and Marcelo Ryan both scored and could again hold the key to their attack.
 
Hiroshima host Cerezo Osaka after suffering their first defeat of the season against Okayama. They will look to bounce back against opponents they have not lost to in their last eight meetings, winning five and drawing three. Cerezo Osaka played out a goalless draw with Tokyo V. Having kept clean sheets in two straight matches, they now need more cutting edge in attack. Can new signing Pablo Sabbag open his account?
 
Nagasaki host Nagoya after suffering a heavy defeat to Kobe and are winless since the opening match. Tightening up a defence that has conceded 12 goals in their last four matches is an urgent priority. Nagoya lost to Machida to suffer their second straight defeat and have conceded three goals in each of their last two matches. With both sides struggling defensively, this could develop into an open, high-scoring contest.
 
Tokyo V and Chiba meet in a clash between the bottom two. Tokyo V drew with Cerezo Osaka last time out and remain winless. Having failed to score in four straight matches, they desperately need more from their attack. Chiba beat Gamba Osaka to claim their long-awaited first win since returning to J1. Can Ken Yamura, whose early goal gave them momentum, deliver again?
 
Urawa host Okayama after beating Kashima to make it three wins in a row. They stood firm despite facing 15 shots without conceding and will look to show the same defensive resilience as they target a fourth straight victory. Okayama edged Hiroshima to make it two wins in a row. Kota Kawano, who scored a superb hat-trick, will again be one to watch.
 

■Check Out the Key Battles in Each Match
Kyoto vs Kashiwa
Kobe vs. Kashima
Mito vs. Kawasaki F.
Shimizu vs. Fukuoka
Machida vs. Yokohama F. Marinos
Gamba Osaka vs. FC Tokyo
Hiroshima vs. Cerezo Osaka
Nagasaki vs. Nagoya
Tokyo V. vs. Chiba
Urawa vs. Okayama