Avispa Fukuoka vs Urawa — Tips & Analysis

Urawa +0.25: Fukuoka do not beat teams, they tie them. They have tied eight of their last 18 games, more than any other result, and five of their last nine at home. They have also won by 2 or more goals only once in those 18 games. That is the pattern this pick leans on. Fukuoka are a slow, careful side. They let in 1 goal a game at Best Denki Stadium and score just over a goal a game. Urawa are the opposite. Their recent league games have been wild, finishing 3-2, 1-3, 1-4 and 3-4, and they score more than a goal a game. They are messy, but they are not short of goals. This meeting has always been tight. The last 13 games between them averaged just under 2 goals, and the last three finished 0-0, 1-0 and 1-0. Fukuoka usually drag the game onto their terms, and Urawa usually find one moment. Both sides come in with three points from four games, so neither can afford a heavy defeat. A 1-1 tie is the likely afternoon. The worry is Urawa's travelling. They have lost five of their last eight away games and let in almost 2 goals a game on the road. Their results also swing hard from week to week, so a controlled afternoon is not the only shape this can take. We still expect Urawa to leave with something.