Nagoya Grampus vs Kashima Antlers 05/09/20

05 September 2020

Toyota Stadium is the venue as Nagoya Grampus face Kashima Antlers in an upper-half-of-the-table J1 League clash. Curiously, the traveling side ran out winners in two of their previous three competitive H2Hs (L1), with each of those three results (wins/loss) yielding a single-goal margin.

Nagoya suffered a disappointing YBC Levain Cup elimination at the midweek, succumbing to a 3-0 away defeat to Tokyo. Nagoya’s immense difficulties in the final third have been heavily exposed lately, as they’ve drawn a blank in three of their last five competitive outings, scoring one apiece in the other two. By extension, the hosts have scored under 1.5 goals in three of their previous five J1 League fixtures on home turf. Yet, if they get on the scoresheet here, the ‘Grampus’ are likely to do it before the half-time break as the majority (80%) of their top-flight home goals scored this term arrived in the first half of play (8/10).

Meanwhile, the visitors have overseen an upturn in form ahead of this trip, going from three consecutive J1 League matches without a win (D2, L1) to back-to-back triumphs. Notably, though, four of those fixtures have seen both teams on the scoresheet, with three producing over 2.5 goals. High-scoring has also been a theme for the ‘Antlers’ on the road recently, as four of their previous five trips have featured over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring (W4, L1), with three containing precisely five goals. Interestingly, Kashima’s away action usually sparks into life after the break, with seven of the ten J1 League goals scored on the road coming in the second half.