Preview: Yokohama FC vs Kawasaki Frontale – prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday’s J1 League clash between Yokohama FC and Kawasaki Frontale, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Yokohama FC, battling near the bottom of the J1 League table, are set to host Kawasaki Frontale at the NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium on Saturday. 

The hosts are 17th in the standings and narrowly above the drop zone on goal difference, while the visitors are seventh in the table and trail the top four by just five points.

Match preview

Yokohama FC were formed by fans of Yokohama Flugels as a protest against their merger with Yokohama Marinos in 1999, becoming the first fan-owned professional sports team in the country, but Fulie have not enjoyed quite the same success as their city rivals. 

After gaining J League membership in 2001, it was not until 2007 that Yokohama FC first appeared in the top flight, but an immediate relegation subsequently kept them out of the J1 League until their return in 2020.

Yokohama FC have consistently bounced between the first and second tier in the following years, suffering relegation from the J1 League in 2021, winning promotion in 2022, relegated again in 2023 and securing their return to the J1 League once again in 2024.

Shuhei Yomoda‘s primary objective this campaign will be to steer Yokohama FC clear of relegation, with the team preparing for a fierce battle to maintain their top-flight status as the season enters its second half.

Yokohama FC sit dangerously above the relegation zone on goal difference after 19 games, with 19 points from five wins, four draws and 10 defeats, though they have played once more than the three teams below them. 

However, their form has slightly improved in recent weeks, with four wins, one draw and three defeats from their last eight outings, including a sensational 4-0 second leg victory over Cerezo Osaka to overturn a 4-1 first leg defeat and progress to the next round of the J League Cup.

Aiming to build on that superb win, Yokohama FC will host the in-form Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday, with the visitors looking to make it seven games without defeat. 

Kawasaki have been a constant feature in the J1 League since last securing promotion as J2 League champions in 2004, and they have gone on to win four top-flight league titles since. 

Their four title triumphs between 2017 and 2021 marked a dominant era, but they have since experienced a decline, finishing second in 2022 and enduring consecutive eighth-placed finishes in 2023 and 2024.

Tasked with leading Kawasaki back to the top of the table, Shigetoshi Hasebe has led the team to seven wins, eight draws and only three defeats in their first 18 league outings. 

Those results leave Kawasaki sitting seventh in the table with 29 points from 18 fixtures, meaning they trail fourth-placed Kashiwa Antlers by just five points, with Hasebe’s side also holding games in hand on several of the teams above them. 

Kawasaki are in particularly strong form heading into Saturday’s clash, with four wins and two draws in their last seven matches, while they have only lost in one of their last eight meetings with Yokohama FC – managing six wins in that time.

Yokohama FC J1 League form:

Kawasaki Frontale J1 League form:

Team News

Yokohama FC pulled off a fantastic 4-0 victory over Cerezo Osaka in their latest outing, and Yomoda could decide to field a mostly unchanged starting 11 in this one as a result. 

Akito Fukumori was particularly impressive in that win, managing three assists from the left side of a back three, and the defender is likely to continue his partnership with Boniface Nduka and Kosuke Yamazaki on Saturday. 

In attack, Lukian is Yokohama FC’s top scorer in the league with four goals, but having missed each of their last two matches, Kaito Mori could earn his first start in the league this term. 

As for Kawasaki Frontale, top scorer in the league, Erison with five goals, has been absent from recent outings due to injury, meaning Shin Yamada could continue in attack. 

Kawasaki are unbeaten in their last seven games across all competitions, and Hasebe may decide to name a similar starting team in this one. 

Yokohama FC possible starting lineup:

Ichikawa; Yamazaki, Nduka, Fukumori; J Suzuki, Lara, Kumakura, Shimbo; Komai, M Suzuki; Mori

Kawasaki Frontale possible starting lineup:

Yamaguchi; Miura, Maruyama, Takai, Sasaki; Yamamoto, Kawahara; Ienaga, Wakizaka, Marcinho; Yamada

We say: Yokohama FC 1-2 Kawasaki Frontale

Yokohama FC have improved in recent weeks, but Kawasaki Frontale are enjoying a strong run of form and have dominated past encounters with the hosts, leading us to expect an away victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats, suggests the most likely outcome of this match is a Yokohama FC win with a probability of 36.02%. A win for Kawasaki Frontale has a probability of 36.01% and a draw has a probability of 28%.

The most likely scoreline for a Yokohama FC win is 1-0 with a probability of 11.16%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome are 2-1 (7.75%) and 2-0 (6.58%). The likeliest Kawasaki Frontale win is 0-1 (11.16%), while for a drawn scoreline it is 1-1 (13.15%).

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