Vissel Kobe vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima Prediction: Anticipating An Epic Showdown Between Two Teams On Par

Vissel Kobe will host Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the Japan National Stadium in the fourth round of the J1 League.

Early pacesetters Sanfrecce Hiroshima will be eager to extend their unbeaten run in the league to four matches and cement their spot at the summit of the standings as they take on a Vissel Kobe side they have dominated in previous encounters.

Let's have a look at the latest J1 League between Vissel Kobe vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima, probable lineups, match facts and betting odds for you to consider!

Note: Odds are subject to change at any time!

Vissel Kobe knew full well that defending their crown this season would be an uphill battle with a slew of teams ready to relinquish them of that title. 

Despite their less than stellar start, suffering their first defeat of the season at the hands of Kashiwa Reysol on the second match day, the reigning champions entered the third match day determined to avoid back-to-back defeats against FC Tokyo, the side from the capital. Takayuki Yoshida's wards emerged victorious from a trailing position to secure a hard-fought 2-1 triumph, making it two wins out of three matches played.

With six points accumulated in three matches played, Vissel Kobe currently sits in fourth place in the J1 League standings, level on points with fifth-placed Albirex Niigata and one adrift of the zenith.

Formation: 4-3-3

D. Maekawa; Y. Honda, M. Thuler, T. Yamakawa, G. Sakai; T. Miyashiro, T. Ogihara, H. Yamaguchi; R. Hirose, Y. Osako, Y. Muto

For Sanfrecce Hiroshima, it appears to have been a seamless journey to the beginning of the J1 League as they remain unbeaten with five other teams in the last three matches.

In their most recent round of the J1 League, Sanfrecce Hiroshima demonstrated their superiority against Sagan Tosu at the Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, as two goals in both halves witnessed them eke out a commanding 4-0 victory. Having gone unbeaten in their last three matches in their 

Sanfrecce Hiroshima will be eager to extend that unbeaten run to four matches while aiming for their third win of the season. 

With 7 points accumulated in three matches played, Sanfrecce Hiroshima are currently perched at the top of the J1 League standings, level on points with second- and third-placed Kashiwa Reysol and Machida Zelvia, respectively. 

Formation: 3-4-2-1

K. Osako; T. Shiotani, H. Araki, S. Sasaki; S. Nakano, M. Mitsuta, T. Kawamura, S. Higashi; Y. Ohashi, K. Mutsuki; P. Sotiriou

• Vissel Kobe has opened the scoring in three of their last five home matches in the J1 League.
• Sanfrecce Hiroshima have avoided defeat in their last nine matches in the J1 League, a run that stems from the previous season.
• Vissel Kobe averages 1.3 goals per game when playing at home, and Sanfrecce Hiroshima averages 1.6 goals per game when playing away.

In the last 39 meetings, Vissel Kobe has won 7 times, Sanfrecce Hiroshima has won 21 times, and there have been 11 draws, with the goal difference being 68-43 in favor of Sanfrecce Hiroshima. 

Vissel Kobe will be looking to capitalize on their home advantage to secure their second consecutive win of the season and claim their inaugural home triumph. Last time around, they were defeated by Kashiwa Reysol 1-0 and will be eager to steer clear of a similar fate this time around.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima, on the other hand, are a side not to be underestimated given they have commenced the season on a high, which sees them brimming with confidence as they aim to maintain their unbeaten run in the league. 

This is anticipated to be a tightly contested match between two evenly balanced teams, which could turn out to be a highly entertaining affair. As such, we don't expect either side to adopt a defensive approach in this match, which leads us to believe this could be a high-scoring affair with the total exceeding 2.5 goals, considering this has been the case in eight of their last twelve meetings.

• Goals - Over 2.5 for 2.10
• Total 1 - Over 1 for 1.75
• X for 3.15