Leaders Ehime Face Unbeaten FC Osaka; In-Form Shiga Take On Kagoshima in Top-Four Clash [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J3 Matchweek 6]

All 10 Matchweek 6 fixtures in the MEIJI YASUDA J3 LEAGUE will be played from 12 to 14 September.

Leaders Ehime travel to face FC Osaka after beating Kitakyushu 4-2 last time out to maintain their unbeaten start. Shota Tamura has scored in back-to-back matches to take his tally to five goals and could again play a key role. FC Osaka also remain unbeaten after drawing with Matsumoto, though it was their third straight draw. After back-to-back goalless draws, finding more cutting edge in attack will be key. Can Kohei Isa, who is yet to score since joining the club, open his account?

Second-placed Kagoshima, who also remain unbeaten, travel to face Shiga after edging Ryukyu 2-1 last time out. Juanma Delgado came off the bench to score the winner, his first goal since joining the club, and how he is used could again be key. Shiga cruised past Sanuki to move up to fourth. Shinta Hojo rewarded his selection in the starting line-up with a goal and will again be one to watch.

Third-placed Gifu travel to Nara after losing to Kanazawa for their first defeat of the season. Despite registering 15 shots, they failed to score. Can their attack respond this time? Nara drew with Kumamoto for their second straight draw but showed their resilience by fighting back from two goals down. Can 20-year-old Rikuto Ando, who struck the equaliser, deliver again?

Fukushima host Kumamoto after beating Gunma to claim their long-awaited first win of the season. They also came out on top in a high-scoring Levain Cup clash with Sendai on Wednesday and will look to build on that momentum. Yuki Okada has scored in back-to-back matches and could again be key. Kumamoto drew with Nara and missed the chance to make it two wins in a row. Having surrendered a two-goal lead, their game management when ahead will be an area to address.

Kitakyushu host Tottori after losing to Ryukyu in their rescheduled Matchweek 1 fixture on Wednesday. It was their second straight defeat, and they remain winless after five matches. Having conceded eight goals in their last three matches, tightening up their defence will be a key priority. Tottori were well beaten by Yamaguchi and missed the chance to make it three wins in a row. Their attack will need to respond after managing just three shots and failing to score.

Yamaguchi host Gunma after beating Tottori to claim their first win in three matches. Sota Watanabe scored his first goal since joining the club and also provided an assist; he could again be key. Gunma lost to Fukushima and missed the chance to make it back-to-back wins. With just one victory so far, they sit bottom of the table. They will be hoping Taika Nakashima can open his account for the season.

Matsumoto host Sagamihara after drawing with FC Osaka and remain winless this season. However, they beat Shonan after a penalty shoot-out in the Levain Cup on Wednesday and will look to carry that momentum into the league as they seek their first win. Sagamihara drew with Nagano and are now winless in two. Having repeatedly conceded early, making a stronger start will be important.

Ryukyu host Sanuki after beating Kitakyushu comfortably in their rescheduled Matchweek 1 fixture on Wednesday to claim their second win of the season. Substitutes were involved in both goals, and Tadaaki Hirakawa's use of his bench could again prove key. Sanuki lost to Shiga to suffer their third straight defeat. Tightening up a defence that has conceded nine goals in three matches is an urgent priority.

Nagano host Tochigi SC after drawing with Sagamihara and are now winless in two. Their second-half game management will be an area to address after they showed signs of vulnerability. Tochigi SC beat Kochi to claim their first win since the opening match. Can Yoshihito Kondo, who opened his account for the season, build on that goal?

Kochi host Kanazawa after losing to Tochigi SC for their second straight defeat. They will look to improve an attack that has failed to score in four of their five matches. Kanazawa beat Gifu to end their two-match losing run. Yuki Nishiya struck the winner; can he deliver again?

■Check Out the Key Battles in Each Match
Fukushima vs. Kumamoto
Nara vs. Gifu
Kitakyushu vs. Tottori
Yamaguchi vs. Gunma
Matsumoto vs. Sagamihara
Ryukyu vs. Sanuki
Shiga vs. Kagoshima
Nagano vs. Tochigi SC
Kochi vs. Kanazawa
FC Osaka vs Ehime