Leaders Kashiwa Target Fourth Straight Win Against Nagoya; FC Tokyo Eye Fifth in Tokyo Derby [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J1 Matchweek 10]

All 10 matches in Matchweek 10 of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE will be played on 17 and 18 October.

Leaders Kashiwa host Nagoya after beating Kobe 4-2 last time out to make it three wins in a row. Their attack has been in fine form, scoring 11 goals over those three matches, while Shota Fujio will hope to build on his first goal since joining the club. Nagoya, meanwhile, ended a four-match losing run with victory over Kawasaki Frontale. Yuya Yamagishi also opened his account for the season and will look to build on that breakthrough.

Second-placed Hiroshima host Kyoto after beating Tokyo Verdy for their third straight win. Takuma Asano has recently returned from injury and will be aiming for his first goal of the season. Kyoto suffered a 1-0 defeat to Machida despite registering 17 shots, underlining the need for greater quality in front of goal.

Third-placed Machida welcome Fukuoka after edging Kyoto 1-0. Takahiro Akimoto scored the winner and could again play a decisive role. Fukuoka returned to winning ways with victory over Okayama, their first in seven league matches. Yu Hashimoto has scored in each of his last two matches in all competitions and will again be one to watch.

Shimizu host Gamba Osaka after beating Mito to record their third consecutive victory. Tomoya Fujii came off the bench to score his first goal since joining the club and could again provide a spark in attack. Gamba Osaka, meanwhile, lost to Kashima for their fourth straight defeat. Yusei Toshida scored his first goal since joining the club in Tuesday’s AFC Champions League Elite match and will hope to carry that form into league action.

Chiba host Yokohama F. Marinos after drawing with Nagasaki and are now without a win in three matches. They have repeatedly taken the lead only to be pegged back, so seeing games through more effectively will be key. Yokohama F. Marinos extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a goalless draw against Cerezo Osaka. Their defence remains solid, but they will want more from an attack that failed to score last time out.

Tokyo Verdy and FC Tokyo meet in the Tokyo derby. Verdy lost to Hiroshima in Naoki Soma’s first match in charge and remain without a win this season. Itsuki Someno will be tasked with providing the cutting edge they need to turn their fortunes around. FC Tokyo, by contrast, head into the derby on a run of four straight victories after beating Urawa. They have also kept four consecutive clean sheets, while Motoki Nagakura will be a major threat after contributing a goal and two assists against Urawa.

Kashima welcome Nagasaki after a convincing victory over Gamba Osaka gave them their first win in five matches. Yuma Suzuki opened his account for the season and will aim to build on that breakthrough. Nagasaki drew with Chiba to extend their unbeaten run to three matches. A late equaliser earned them a point last time out, and they will hope to use that momentum to climb further up the table.

Cerezo Osaka host Kawasaki Frontale after a goalless draw with Yokohama F. Marinos extended their winless run to four matches. With goals proving difficult to come by, Pablo Sabbag could provide the spark after scoring in Wednesday’s Levain Cup match. Kawasaki Frontale suffered their first defeat in four matches against Nagoya and will need to tighten up a defence that has conceded multiple goals in successive games.

Mito welcome Urawa after losing to Shimizu for their third straight defeat. Yuto Yamashita scored the winner against FC Tokyo in the Levain Cup in midweek and could help Mito regain some momentum. Urawa’s loss to FC Tokyo prevented them from making it back-to-back wins, and improving their second-half game management will be important after they showed vulnerabilities after the break.

Okayama host Kobe after losing to Fukuoka for their second consecutive defeat. They have conceded early in recent matches, making a stronger start a priority. Kobe saw their five-match winning run ended by Kashiwa and will need to respond by tightening up a defence that conceded four goals last time out.