Tottori Target Another Upset Against Cerezo; Matsumoto Take on Holders Hiroshima [Preview: Levain Cup First Round – Round 3]

Eight third-round fixtures in the J.League Yamazaki Biscuits Levain Cup First Round will be played on 14 October.
 
J3 side Tottori take on Cerezo Osaka after knocking out Nagasaki in the second round. Daiki Shinoda was on target in that victory and will be hoping to help Tottori pull off another upset. Cerezo beat Fujieda in the previous round but are winless in four league matches. A cup victory could provide the lift they need to turn their form around.
 
Fellow J3 side Matsumoto face defending champions Hiroshima after edging Niigata 1-0 in the second round. They also head into the tie on the back of a league win over leaders Kagoshima last weekend and will look to carry that momentum into their bid for a place in the fourth round. Hiroshima beat Tochigi City 2-0 in the previous round and have also won three straight league matches. Takuma Asano has recently returned from injury and will be aiming for his first goal since returning to Hiroshima.
 
Three J2 sides also remain in the competition. Yokohama FC face Urawa after edging Gifu 2-1 in the second round. Joao Paulo scored the stoppage-time winner and could again make the difference. Urawa, meanwhile, beat Toyama 3-2, with Renji Hidano scoring the winner for his first goal of the season.
 
Jubilo Iwata host Kawasaki Frontale after beating Chiba 4-2 in the second round. Matheus Peixoto scored twice in that victory and will again pose a major threat as Iwata look to eliminate another J1 opponent. Kawasaki edged Roasso Kumamoto 1-0 in the previous round, while the in-form Marcinho has continued to impress in league action.
 
Tosu take on Avispa Fukuoka after a 2-1 win over Tokyo Verdy in the second round. Ryo Shiohama scored both goals and will again be one to watch. Fukuoka beat FC Osaka 2-1 in the second round and followed that with a league victory over Okayama last weekend, ending a six-match winless run. They will look to build on those results and carry that momentum into this match.
 
The remaining three ties are all-J1 contests. Mito host FC Tokyo after cruising to a 7-0 win over Fukushima in the second round. They will look to reproduce that attacking display against an FC Tokyo side that beat Ehime 2-0 and have now won four straight league matches. Motoki Nagakura has been in good form and could again play a prominent role.
 
Yokohama F. Marinos face Shimizu S-Pulse after edging Montedio Yamagata 2-1 in the previous round. Taisei Inoue scored the winner when Yokohama F. Marinos beat Shimizu 1-0 in their recent league meeting and will be looking to make another decisive contribution. Shimizu, who beat Kanazawa 2-0 in Round 2, will be aiming to turn the tables on Yokohama F. Marinos, with former Marinos player Kenta Inoue hoping to make his mark against his old club.
 
Nagoya Grampus host Fagiano Okayama after beating Kitakyushu 3-1 in the second round. Yuya Yamagishi scored in that match and also found the net in Nagoya’s league win last weekend, making him one of the players to watch. Okayama edged Sapporo 2-1 in Round 2 but conceded a stoppage-time winner in their league meeting with Nagoya. Maintaining their concentration through to the final whistle will be crucial.

■Check Out the Key Battles in Each Match
Yokohama FC vs. Urawa
Mito vs. FC Tokyo
Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Shimizu
Nagoya Grampus vs. Okayama
Jubilo Iwata vs. Kawasaki Frontale
Sagan Tosu vs. Avispa Fukuoka
Matsumoto Yamaga FC vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Gainare Tottori vs. Cerezo Osaka