Sanfrecce Hiroshima

vs

Vissel Kobe

Preview

Home - Sanfrecce Hiroshima

• Sanfrecce Hiroshima have won three, drawn two and lost two of their seven home games in the J League 2026, conceding an average of just 0.86 goals per game on home soil.
• Bartosch Gaul has maintained the continuity of identity at Sanfrecce Hiroshima since taking over at the start of 2026.
• The Blue Waves tend to set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, focusing on keeping possession and playing a patient passing game to overload the wings with their attacking wing-backs.
• The hosts come into this game in mixed form, winning three and losing two of their last five in all competitions.
• They have won their last three at home, but lost their previous two games overall.
• Vissel currently sit top of the J League 2026 with 26 points from 13 games while Hiroshima are fourth with 20 points from 14.

Away - Vissel Kobe

• Vissel Kobe will provide a very different challenge indeed as they tend to play either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, depending on the match-up.
• Michael Skibbe’s side prefer to play at a high tempo, pressing high up the pitch and looking to recover the ball quickly to transition into attacking moves at speed.
• The visitors are having a rough patch at the moment, losing three straight games after being beaten 5-0 at Gamba Osaka in their last J League 2026 matchup.
• They have won two and lost three of their last five in all competitions.

Head-to-Head

Key Players

• Kosuke Kinoshita has been in good scoring form, netting two of the team’s last six overall.
• Katsuya Nagato leads the way for the visitors with three league goals in 13 appearances, but Yoshinori Muto has been in fine form of late, netting three of Vissel’s seven goals in the last five games.
• Akito Suzuki is a steady presence at the other end for the Blue Waves with three goals in 14 league appearances.

Betting Insights

• Vissel Kobe win: 3.85
• Over 2.5 goals: 2.05
• Both Teams to Score - Yes: 1.85