Consadole Sapporo vs Machida Zelvia - 16/03/24 | Fast live stats

Consadole Sapporo vs Machida Zelvia Prediction & Preview

Preview

This Saturday, the Sapporo Dome sets the stage for an intriguing J-League clash as Consadole Sapporo welcome Machida Zelvia in what promises to be a captivating match. Both teams are gearing up for their 4th round encounter, with kickoff set at 05:00.

Consadole Sapporo, under the guidance of Mihailo Petrović, finds themselves in a challenging position early in the season. Positioned 19th with only 1 point from three games, their form has been less than ideal – recording two losses and one draw. Their last outing resulted in a narrow 0-1 defeat at home to Urawa Reds, reflecting their struggle to find winning form.

On the flip side, Machida Zelvia travels to Sapporo carrying momentum and confidence. Coached by Go Kuroda and currently sitting comfortably at 3rd place with an impressive tally of 7 points from three matches – including two wins and one draw – they seem poised for another positive result. Their recent performance saw them secure a goalless draw against Sagamihara at home.

The head-to-head record between these sides tells a story of closely fought battles; out of their last three encounters, each team has claimed victory once alongside one draw - highlighting how evenly matched they are on paper. The most recent face-off ended in a stalemate (0-0) on January 28th this year at Machida Athletic Stadium.

Machida's ability to score an average of 2.33 goals per game when playing away contrasts sharply with Consadole's struggle upfront — managing only an average of 0.6 goals per game at home this season indicates potential vulnerabilities that Machida could exploit.

Bet

Given both teams' current form and statistical insights into their performances so far this season - especially considering Consadole Sapporo’s defensive woes (conceding an average of 1.8 goals per game) versus Machida Zelvia’s solid defense (conceding just about 0.3 goals per game), plus Machida's impressive scoring record when playing away - betting on Away Win seems like a value bet here.

The odds favoring Machinda Zelvia as favorites (2.5) further justify this choice; not only do they come into this match as the higher-ranked team but also possess significantly better form compared to their hosts making them likely candidates to secure all three points on offer.