Leaders Kagoshima Visit Fourth-Placed Sagamihara; Second-Placed Nara Host Bottom Side Kochi [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J3 Matchweek 16]

All 10 Matchweek 16 fixtures in the MEIJI YASUDA J3 LEAGUE will be played on 7 and 8 November.
 
League leaders Kagoshima travel to fourth-placed Sagamihara after a draw with Yamaguchi extended their winless run to three matches. Juanma Delgado scored a dramatic late equaliser in that game and will be looking to help his side regain momentum. Sagamihara, meanwhile, beat Tottori to record back-to-back victories. Masato Handai scored the winner and will again be a key figure.
 
Second-placed Nara, just two points behind Kagoshima, host bottom-of-the-table Kochi. Nara defeated Gunma to make it two wins in a row, with Rikuto Ando scoring for the second consecutive match. He will again be central to their attacking hopes. Kochi claimed their first victory in 12 matches with a convincing win over Ehime. Aoto Nanamure scored twice in that game and will be looking to make another decisive contribution.
 
Third-placed Gifu welcome Kitakyushu after winning a high-scoring encounter against Ryukyu to record their second straight victory. Substitute Kanata Yakabi scored the winner, and his involvement could again prove important. Kitakyushu lost to Shiga, missing the chance to claim a third consecutive win. Having conceded early and struggled to recover, they will be determined to make a stronger start.
 
Fukushima host Ryukyu after a draw with Tochigi SC left them without a win in two matches. They failed to score for only the second time this season and will be looking for a response from their attack. Ryukyu's four-match winning streak ended with defeat to Gifu. Having surrendered a two-goal lead, improving their second-half game management will be a priority.
 
Gunma welcome FC Osaka after suffering their second straight defeat against Nara. They have conceded seven goals in those two matches and failed to score in either, leaving them with work to do at both ends of the pitch. FC Osaka edged Kumamoto 2-1, with Kohei Isa scoring the late winner. He will be hoping to make another decisive contribution.
 
Matsumoto host Kanazawa after losing to Sanuki and missing the chance to record back-to-back wins for the first time this season. They will need more from an attack that failed to find the net. Kanazawa's two-match winning streak also came to an end with defeat to Nagano. Patrick is still searching for his first goal of the season and will be eager to open his account.
 
Ehime welcome Shiga after a third consecutive defeat against Kochi. They have conceded four goals in three of their last five matches, making defensive improvements an urgent priority. Shiga beat Kitakyushu to claim their first victory in eight matches. Iori Sakamoto scored the winner and will be looking to build on that performance.
 
Kumamoto host Yamaguchi after a late goal condemned them to defeat against FC Osaka, their first loss in five matches. Seeing out games more effectively will be important. Yamaguchi drew with leaders Kagoshima and are now winless in two matches. Having also conceded a late equaliser, they will need to improve their game management in the closing stages.
 
Nagano welcome Sanuki after a convincing win over Kanazawa gave them back-to-back victories for the second time this season. Sotaro Shimizu repaid the faith shown in him with a starting place and will be looking to make another impact up front. Sanuki ended a two-match losing run by beating Matsumoto. They will aim to reproduce the resilient defending that earned them a clean sheet despite being outshot.
 
Tottori host Tochigi SC after defeat to Sagamihara extended their winless run to six matches. They will be hoping Kagetora Hoshi can provide a lift by opening his account for the season. Tochigi SC drew with Fukushima to extend their unbeaten run to four matches, keeping a clean sheet in each. However, finishing remains a concern after they failed to score despite registering 19 shots. Improving their cutting edge in front of goal will be key.

■Check Out the Key Battles in Each Match
Fukushima vs. Ryukyu
Gunma vs FC Osaka
Gifu vs. Kitakyushu
Nara vs. Kochi
Matsumoto vs. Kanazawa
Ehime vs. Shiga
Kumamoto vs. Yamaguchi
Sagamihara vs. Kagoshima
Nagano vs. Sanuki
Tottori vs. Tochigi SC