Preview: Shonan Bellmare vs. Avispa Fukuoka – prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides in contrasting runs of form in Japan’s top flight will do battle on Wednesday, as Shonan Bellmare welcome Avispa Fukuoka to the Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka.

The visitors have climbed out of the relegation zone in the J1 League table with three consecutive victories, while a three-match losing run has seen their visitors drop to eighth spot.

Match preview

© Imago

Shonan Bellmare return to action on Wednesday aiming to continue an eye-catching upturn in form and a subsequent climb away from the J1 League drop zone, having strengthened their position in the fight at the bottom end of the division in recent weeks.

After avoiding relegation to Japan’s second tier by five points last term, Shonan Bellmare endured a dismal first half to the new campaign, Satoshi Yamaguchi‘s side endured a dismal first half to the new campaign, picking up just three victories in their first 21 outings as a home defeat to Kyoto Sanga at the end of June left them 19th on just 16 points.

The Hiratsuka outfit appear to have turned a corner in their fight for survival since, though, having since doubled that tally of victories with three consecutive league wins and four on the bounce in all competitions, firstly bouncing back with a 3-2 triumph away at Urawa Red Diamonds, with two injury-time goals, to end a six-game winless streak, before progressing through the Emperor’s Cup third round by beating Tokyo Verdy 1-0.

Yamaguchi’s men then hosted Jubilo Iwata in mid-July and dished out a 5-0 beating, with Lukian hitting a hat-trick alongside goals from Masaki Ikeda and Ryo Nemoto, before most recently extending their run in impressive fashion away at second-placed Gamba Osaka and leaping out of the bottom three with a 1-0 victory thanks to Taiga Hata‘s decisive goal seven minutes from time.

While they do remain just one point above the drop zone in 16th spot after 24 J1 League outings, Shonan Bellmare are bound to have plenty of renewed confidence after their recent upturn in form, and they will bid to keep building momentum and move further clear of the bottom three with a fourth straight top-flight triumph on Wednesday.

© Imago

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip in the midst of a different trajectory to that of their hosts, having experienced a dip in their form in recent weeks.

Aiming to build on last season’s seventh-placed J1 League finish, Avispa Fukuoka enjoyed an eye-catching first half to the 2024 campaign, sitting sixth after 21 outings on the back of a six-game unbeaten streak including five victories, having moved onto 35 points.

That saw Avi move onto nine wins for the campaign alongside just four defeats from those games, but they have failed to extend the fine form since, firstly seeing their unbeaten streak brought to an end in a 2-1 loss at home to Kyoto Sanga, in which the visitors’ winning goal came in the 99th minute, before being knocked out of the Emperor’s Cup by second-tier Ehime FC.

Shigetoshi Hasebe‘s side have failed to bounce back in two further attempts since, instead suffering consecutive 1-0 defeats at the hands of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Tokyo Verdy, with the latter being settled by a first-half Hiroto Yamami goal at the Best Denki Stadium in July.

Now returning to J1 League action for the first time in over two weeks, Avispa Fukuoka find themselves eighth in the Japanese top flight in the midst of their rut, but with seventh-placed FC Tokyo and sixth-placed Cerezo Osaka only one and two points better off respectively, they can quickly improve their standing again with a return to winning ways on Wednesday.

Shonan Bellmare J1 League form:

Shonan Bellmare form (all competitions):

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