Leaders Niigata Host Relegation-Threatened Imabari; Miyazaki Chase Fifth Straight Win at Tokushima [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J2 Matchweek 16]

All 10 Matchweek 16 fixtures in the MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE will be played on 7 and 8 November.
 
New leaders Niigata host relegation-threatened Imabari after a 1-0 win over Kofu took them to the top of the table. All of Niigata's victories this season have come by a single goal, highlighting their ability to grind out results. They will look to show that same resilience again. Imabari, meanwhile, lost to Sapporo and are now winless in five matches. Having conceded four goals, matching their highest tally of the season, they will need to tighten up defensively.
 
Second-placed Toyama travel to Tosu after beating former leaders Sendai to record back-to-back wins. Yoshiki Takahashi scored the decisive goal in that victory and will be looking to make another important contribution. Tosu also won 1-0 against Shonan, with substitute Haruya Goto scoring the winner. How he is used could again prove crucial.
 
Third-placed Yokohama FC welcome Fujieda after edging Akita to extend their unbeaten run to five matches. Manager Daisuke Sudo faces the club he coached until last year, and his tactical approach will be of particular interest. Fujieda lost to Iwata and have now gone 11 matches without a win. Having conceded twice in the closing stages to suffer a comeback defeat, seeing out matches will be a key area for improvement.
 
Sendai host Kofu after losing their place at the top of the table following a third consecutive defeat, this time against Toyama. Despite registering 20 shots, they failed to score and will need to be more clinical in front of goal. Kofu lost to Niigata and are now winless in five matches. Sitting bottom of the table, they will be desperate to turn things around against an opponent they have failed to beat in their last nine meetings, drawing five and losing four.
 
Akita welcome Oita after a narrow 2-1 defeat to Yokohama FC. Having taken the lead only to lose, they will need to manage matches more effectively when ahead. Oita claimed their first win in four matches by beating Hachinohe. They will look to maintain the league's best defensive record and secure back-to-back victories for the second time this season.
 
Iwaki host Yamagata after a narrow defeat to Omiya ended their five-match unbeaten run. Taisei Kato has scored in consecutive matches and will be looking to help his side bounce back. Yamagata beat Tokushima to record back-to-back wins for the second time this season. Junya Takahashi has also scored in each of their last two matches and will be a key attacking threat.
 
Tokushima welcome Miyazaki after losing to Yamagata, their second straight defeat. Having failed to score in either match, they need a response from their attack. Miyazaki, meanwhile, cruised past Tochigi City to secure their fourth consecutive victory. Ken Tshizanga Matsumoto has scored in all four games and will again be central to their hopes of success.
 
Hachinohe host Sapporo after a third straight defeat against Oita. Having scored just once in those three matches, they urgently need more cutting edge in attack. Sapporo arrive in excellent form after a convincing win over Imabari extended their winning streak to five matches. They have also kept five consecutive clean sheets, while Vini Peixoto, who scored twice last time out, will be one to watch in attack.
 
Tochigi City welcome Omiya after losing to Miyazaki, their third consecutive defeat and 10th match without a win. Having conceded three goals in each of their last two games, tightening up defensively will be a priority. Omiya edged Iwaki to record back-to-back victories. Toya Izumi has scored in three consecutive matches and will be looking to maintain that form.
 
Ninth-placed Iwata face tenth-placed Shonan, with both sides level on 22 points. Iwata beat Fujieda to make it two wins in a row, overturning a late deficit with two goals in the closing stages. They will look to carry that momentum into this fixture as they target a third consecutive victory for the first time this season. Shonan suffered their second straight defeat against Tosu. With goals proving hard to come by, Hiroto Yamada will be looking to end a seven-match goal drought.

■Check Out the Key Battles in Each Match
Akita vs. Oita
Iwaki vs. Yamagata
Yokohama FC vs. Fujieda
Niigata vs. Imabari
Tokushima vs. Miyazaki
Sagan Tosu vs. Kataller Toyama
Hachinohe vs. Sapporo
Tochigi City vs. Omiya
Iwata vs. Shonan
Sendai vs. Kofu