Leaders Sendai Target Fifth Straight Win Against Tokushima; Second-Placed Omiya Visit Tosu [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J2 Matchweek 11]

All 10 matches in Matchweek 11 of the MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE will be played on 17 and 18 October.

Leaders Sendai host Tokushima after beating Yamagata to record their fourth straight victory. Ren Asakura scored the winner last time out and could again make the difference. Tokushima, meanwhile, have lost two in a row following defeat to Imabari. Lucas Barcelos has scored just once this season and will be hoping to help spark a turnaround.

Second-placed Omiya travel to Tosu after a convincing win over Hachinohe kept their unbeaten start to the season intact. Centre-backs Yusei Ozaki and Ryuya Nishio were both on target and could again have an important role at both ends of the pitch. Tosu ended a four-match losing run by beating Fujieda before following that up with a Levain Cup victory over Fukuoka on Wednesday. Kakeru Yamauchi scored the winner in that match for his first goal since joining the club and will now look to make an impact in the league.

Third-placed Niigata visit Oita after extending their unbeaten run to five matches with a draw against Shonan. Yusuke Onishi is suspended after being sent off in that game, so whoever replaces him will have an important role to play. Oita have won two in a row after beating Yokohama FC, with substitute Manato Kimoto continuing to make an impact.

Sapporo host Akita after defeat to Iwata left them bottom of the table. They failed to score for the first time this season and will need a response from their attack. Akita’s six-match unbeaten run ended with a narrow defeat to Iwaki, and improving their defending from set pieces will be a priority.

Tochigi City host Yokohama FC looking to halt a run of four straight defeats after losing to Kofu. Atsushi Yoshida has scored in each of the last two matches and could provide the spark they need. Yokohama FC suffered their first defeat in four matches against Oita, conceding late, and seeing games through more effectively will be key.

Fujieda welcome Yamagata after defeat to Tosu extended their winless run to six matches. Late goals have continued to cost them, making their game management in the closing stages an area for improvement. Yamagata have lost two in a row after falling to Sendai and will need more from an attack that failed to score despite registering 13 shots.

Imabari and Hachinohe meet with both sides on 10 points, sitting 17th and 19th respectively. Imabari beat Tokushima last time out to record back-to-back wins for the first time this season, with Edigar Junio scoring for a third consecutive match. Hachinohe, meanwhile, have lost two in a row and will need to tighten up after conceding five goals across those defeats.

Toyama host Shonan after extending their unbeaten run to six matches with a draw against Miyazaki. Tsubasa Yoshihira has scored in each of the last two games and could again play an important role. Shonan are also unbeaten in five, although three of those matches have ended in draws. Having conceded first in four consecutive games, they will be keen to get in front and see out a victory.

Miyazaki and Iwata meet level on 13 points in 10th and 11th respectively. Miyazaki are unbeaten in five after drawing with Toyama, while Koji Okumura has now scored in five consecutive matches. Iwata ended a three-match losing run with victory over Sapporo, and match-winner Iago Teles will again be one to watch.

Iwaki host Kofu after ending a two-match losing run with victory over Akita. Yuriya Takahashi scored the winner and will hope to build on that performance. Kofu also returned to winning ways by edging Tochigi City to halt a run of four straight defeats, with the in-form Yamato Naito again likely to be central to their attack.