V-Varen Nagasaki
- Takuya Takagi's hosts are a very compact 3-4-2-1 team, with the wing-backs providing most of the width in a structure which is geared towards quick vertical counter-attacks and doesn't press relentlessly.
- V-Varen have lost their last two, away to NEC Nijmegen and FC Utrecht.
- V-Varen have failed to win their last home match against Kyoto Purple Sanga, so the visitors arrive with a small psychological edge to back up their slight favor in the wagering.
Kyoto Purple Sanga
Ranko Popović's visitors, meanwhile, are a more aggressive 4-2-3-1 team that presses higher up the field and gets on the front foot more with the ball.
Key Players
- V-Varen Nagasaki and Kyoto Purple Sanga are two very different teams in terms of their playing styles, which could make wing-backs and full-backs the key players in this matchup at Transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki on Sunday.
- Kyoto's chief goal threat is Rafael Elias, who has scored two of their goals in the last five and has the sharpest edge in the final third.
Betting Insights
- Kyoto are the thin favourites to win at 2.45 but draw and V-Varen are still good for bets too at 3.2 and 2.85 respectively.
- Despite our belief that Kyoto are the most likely winners, we think the draw and Both Teams to Score - Yes at 1.79 look like the better wagers here.
- We will take Under 2.5 goals at 1.75 for our main wager because that seems like the most natural alternative angle to take for this matchup.
Prediction
Kyoto have also won two and lost three of their last five, but they beat V-Varen and Kashiwa Reysol during that run, so we are leaning towards them getting a result on the island of Nagasaki on Sunday .
