Kashiwa Reysol vs Vissel Kobe — Tips & Analysis

Vissel Kobe +0.5: Vissel Kobe are the form team in Japan. They have won their last five league games and sit top of J1 on 19 points from eight. Kashiwa are right behind them on 18, and they are a handful at home. Over 10 home games Kashiwa have scored more than 2 goals a game, with recent home scorelines of 5-4, 4-0 and 4-2. That is the one thing standing in our way. Vissel are built the other way round. They let in under a goal a game, and they are even tighter on the road. Vissel have won 12 of their last 18 and have lost by 2 or more only twice in that run. They also win small: a one-goal margin in nine of their last 18 games. Rest matters here as well. Vissel have had 16 days off. Kashiwa played six days ago in a nine-goal cup game, so they come in with heavier legs. The last 20 meetings have been shared, with Kashiwa winning 10, tying 5 and losing 5. A 1-1 is the fair read. Kashiwa push, Vissel soak it up and find one, and a tie is enough for us. Here is the catch. Kashiwa have not tied a single game in their last 19, winning 13 and losing 6. So the shared result we want has been missing from their whole season. We still back the tighter defence to come away with something.