Preview: Fagiano Okayama vs Avispa Fukuoka - prediction, team news, lineups

Avispa Fukuoka will be aiming to win in J1 League for the first time since the middle of April when they continue their campaign with a clash against Fagiano Okayama on Sunday.

The visitors are 15th in the J1 League table, boasting 23 points from 19 matches, while Okayama sit up in 11th, having picked up 24 points from their 19 games this term.

Match preview

Okayama have a record of six wins, six draws and seven defeats from their 19 league matches this season, with a total of 24 points leaving them in 11th spot in the table.

Takashi Kiyama's side secured promotion to the top flight through last year's J2 League playoffs, so their main focus for this season will be to secure survival.

By that standard, it has been a successful campaign to date, with the team five points ahead of the relegation zone, although the picture could still change extremely quickly at this stage of the season.

Okayama are winless in their last three matches in all competitions, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Giravanz in the Emperor Cup last time out, while their last league match ended in a 1-1 draw with Shonan on June 1.

Avispa, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Tokyo Verdy in their last league match at the end of May, which stretched their winless run in the top flight to nine matches.

Indeed, Kim Myung-hwi's side have not managed to triumph in the league since the middle of April, but they are not in the relegation zone at this stage of the campaign.

Indeed, a record of six wins, five draws and eight defeats from 19 matches has left them in 15th spot on 23 points, four points ahead of the bottom three and just one point behind their opponents here.

Avispa will enter this match off the back of a win, meanwhile, having beaten Okinawa SV 2-0 in the Emperor Cup on June 11, which followed a defeat to Sanfrecce in the J-League Cup.

Fagiano Okayama J1 League form:

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Fagiano Okayama form (all competitions):

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Avispa Fukuoka J1 League form:

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Avispa Fukuoka form (all competitions):

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Team News

Okayama have not reported any injury concerns ahead of this match, so the hosts are set to have a strong squad available for selection this weekend.

Takaya Kimura has come up with three goals this season, and there should be another spot in the final third of the field for the 26-year-old.

Meanwhile, Kazunari Ichimi is also set to feature from the first whistle.

As for Avispa, Itsuki Oda, Jurato Ikeda and Shahab Zahedi will miss the contest due to injury problems.

Kazuya Konno has scored three times this season, and the expectation is that the 27-year-old will lead the line for the visitors this weekend.

There will also be another spot in the XI for Takumi Kamijima, who has made 20 appearances this season.

Fagiano Okayama possible starting lineup:

Brodersen; Sato, Kato, Suzuki; Tagami, Tatsuta, Fujita, Tabei; Ichimi, Esaka, Kimura

Avispa Fukuoka possible starting lineup:

Murakami; Yuzawa, Maejima, Shichi; Ando, Kamijima, Matsuoka, Shigemi; Iwasaki, Fujimoto, Konno

We say: Fagiano Okayama 1-1 Avispa Fukuoka

Avispa are on a long winless run in the league, and we are expecting that to continue this weekend, but the visitors should be good enough for a share of the spoils against Okayama.

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