Yokohama F. Marinos will look to get back to winning ways when they host league leaders Machida Zelvia this Saturday. The home side have struggled for consistency of late and find themselves in 13th place with just two wins from their last seven outings. Their most recent defeat saw Kashima Antlers overcome an early deficit to emerge 3-2 victors.
Visitors Machida Zelvia have impressed in their debut J1 League campaign, losing just twice so far. They currently sit at the summit with a five point buffer, though their form did stutter last time with a 3-1 loss to Albirex Niigata ending a five match unbeaten run. Still, the away side have only been defeated once on the road and will be full of confidence against Yokohama’s leaky defense.
While the hosts have only lost once at home all season, containing Machida’s potent attack will be no easy task. The newcomers have found the net 28 times already, sharing the second highest tally in the division. Their last encounter ended in a 4-1 victory for Zelvia during cup competition, though Marinos will hope home advantage can swing momentum their way this Saturday.
With both teams known to carry threat going forward, goals are expected to flow once more. Yokohama will need to capitalize on any chances that come their way to have a chance of overcoming the competition frontrunners. An exciting back-and-forth battle could be in store.
