Leaders Machida Face Kobe in Top-Four Clash; Unbeaten FC Tokyo Host Struggling Mito [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J1 Matchweek 12]

All 10 Matchweek 12 fixtures in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE will be played on 24 and 25 October.

New leaders Machida travel to Kobe after a convincing win over Shimizu made it three victories in a row. Takuma Nishimura scored an impressive hat-trick in that match and will again be a major attacking threat. Kobe, meanwhile, lost to Kawasaki Frontale and missed the chance to make it back-to-back wins. Yuya Osako has scored three goals in his last two matches and will be central to their hopes of beating the league leaders.

Second-placed FC Tokyo welcome Mito after a draw against Kashiwa ended their five-match winning streak. They remain unbeaten in 10 matches, however, and have kept six consecutive clean sheets. Having failed to score against Kashiwa, they will be looking for a response in attack. Mito suffered their fifth straight defeat against Okayama and have scored just once during that run. New signing Kaito Taniguchi, who has yet to score since joining the club, will be hoping to open his account.

Third-placed Hiroshima host Shimizu after their four-match winning run ended in defeat to Nagasaki. Having conceded a season-high four goals, tightening up defensively will be a priority. Shimizu suffered a heavy defeat to Machida, their first loss in five matches. Ryo Germain returns to face his former club and will be looking for his first goal since joining Shimizu.

Sixth-placed Kashima host fifth-placed Kashiwa after a draw against Kyoto denied them a third consecutive victory. They conceded a late equaliser and will need to see out matches more effectively. Kashiwa are also without a win in two following their draw against FC Tokyo. Mao Hosoya remains in search of his first goal of the season.

Bottom-placed Tokyo Verdy welcome eighteenth-placed Fukuoka after a draw against Yokohama F. Marinos left them still searching for their first win of the season. Their late equaliser in that match could provide a lift as they look to claim all three points. Fukuoka suffered a second straight defeat against Gamba Osaka and will be hoping Yu Hashimoto, whose accurate delivery is a major asset, can help turn their fortunes around.

Gamba Osaka host Kyoto after edging Fukuoka to record their first victory since the opening match. They are unbeaten in their last 11 home meetings with Kyoto, winning eight and drawing three, and will be aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Kyoto are winless in three after drawing with Kashima, although Haruki Arai rescued a point with two goals and will again be one to watch.

Nagoya welcome Yokohama F. Marinos after a draw against Cerezo Osaka denied them a third straight win. They took the lead but failed to hold on, making game management when ahead an area to address. Yokohama FM played out a third consecutive draw against Tokyo Verdy, with Daiya Tono scoring his first goal since returning from injury. He will be hoping to build on that performance.

Urawa host Nagasaki after edging Chiba in a five-goal thriller to make it two wins in a row. Substitute Shuta Sasa has continued to make an impact, and how he is used could again prove important. Nagasaki ended a three-match winless run with a convincing victory over Hiroshima. Kenshin Yasuda scored twice and will be looking to make another decisive contribution.

Cerezo Osaka welcome Chiba after extending their winless run to six matches with a draw against Nagoya. Pablo Sabbag scored his first goal since joining the club and will be hoping to add to his tally. Chiba are also struggling, having gone five matches without a win following defeat to Urawa. Improving their defending at set pieces will be a priority.

Kawasaki Frontale host Okayama after beating Kobe to make it two consecutive victories. Both wingers, Marcinho and Tatsuya Ito, were on target and will again be central to their attack. Okayama ended a three-match losing run by beating Mito, with Ataru Esaka scoring twice to lead them to victory. He will be hoping to play another important role.

■Check Out the Key Battles in Each Match
Hiroshima vs Shimizu
Kashima vs Kashiwa
Tokyo Verdy vs Avispa Fukuoka
Vissel Kobe vs Machida Zelvia
Gamba Osaka vs Kyoto Sanga
Nagoya Grampus vs Yokohama F. Marinos
Urawa Reds vs V-Varen Nagasaki
Cerezo Osaka vs JEF United Chiba
FC Tokyo vs Mito Hollyhock
Kawasaki F vs Okayama