On September 4th at 18:00, the first leg of the J.League Cup quarterfinals will see Albirex Niigata host Machida Zelvia at home. Albirex Niigata is ranked in the mid-to-lower reaches of the J.League with average strength, while Machida Zelvia is part of the championship contender group with a stronger lineup.
In the J.League standings, Albirex Niigata has 9 wins, 9 draws, and 10 losses for a total of 36 points, placing them 13th in the league, and the team is basically in a state of no pressure in the J.League; Machida Zelvia has 16 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses for a total of 55 points, ranking second in the league due to goal difference.
In their last five league matches, Albirex Niigata achieved an impressive record of 3 wins and 2 draws, which significantly improved their league standing, and they no longer face the threat of relegation. Under these circumstances, Albirex Niigata can dedicate more energy to the J.League Cup. In the Albirex Niigata squad, Kaito Taniguchi contributed 11 goals and 2 assists, making him the top scorer and the player who created the most goals. Kishiki Makinoki contributed 5 goals and 2 assists, while Kousuke Fujihara and Yuta Komano each contributed 4 goals and 3 assists.
Machida Zelvia’s recent form has been poor, achieving only 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses in their last six league games, which is undoubtedly very detrimental for a team aspiring to win the title. In the Machida Zelvia squad, Shota Fujio contributed 9 goals and 1 assist, making him the top scorer and the player who created the most goals. Seunghoon Oh contributed 7 goals and 2 assists, while Duke contributed 6 goals and 1 assist.
In this match, Albirex Niigata will be without the services of Kosuke Ota and Kazuya Hayakawa due to injuries; Machida Zelvia will be without the services of Min-gyu Jung and Takuya Ando due to injuries.
In previous encounters, Albirex Niigata has dominated with 7 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses; at Albirex Niigata’s home ground, the head-to-head record shows that Albirex Niigata has a clear advantage with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.
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