Shimizu S-pulse
- Shimizu S-pulse have lost all of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Takayuki Yoshida, who took over in January, has attempted to make Shimizu S-pulse more progressive and proactive, encouraging them to play with the ball in front-foot 4-3-3 variants and using the ball quickly and efficiently in transition.
- They lie ninth in the J League 2026 standings with just one point to show from their two opening games.
Vissel Kobe
- Vissel Kobe have won their last three matches in all competitions.
- Vissel Kobe are going strong under new manager Michael Skibbe, who took over at the start of 2026, and are second in the table with five points from two matches.
- A 2-0 win over FC Seoul in the AFC Champions League was followed by a 2-0 victory over V-Varen Nagasaki in the J League.
Head-to-Head
Vissel Kobe have not won their last away H2H meeting with Shimizu S-pulse.
Key Players
- Daiju Sasaki has been the main contributor, with one goal in two games.
- Yoshinori Muto has been the biggest threat, providing three of Vissel’s last seven goals in the previous five games.
Betting Insights
The odds on Vissel to win, 1.7 , are very fair given that Shimizu have been woeful at home in J League 2026, drawing their only home match and averaging just 1 goal per game .
Prediction
Vissel Kobe should defeat Shimizu S-pulse in a potentially interesting game between two teams that have changed their style of play in 2026.
