Urawa Reds are set to maintain their recent momentum when they travel to EDION Stadium for a J1-League clash against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The hosts have the quality to make things difficult on Wednesday but given their recent struggles at home, Urawa are likely to have the upper hand.
A second half blitz saw Sanfrecce Hiroshima come from behind to claim a 2-1 victory at Cerezo Osaka last time out in the J1-League. Quick-fire goals from Junior Santos and Yuya Asano were enough to earn them the win.
The victory ended a run of two consecutive defeats for Hiroshi Jofuku's men, who have not been at their best this season. They are currently ninth on the table and could slip into the bottom half with a defeat on Wednesday.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima have been surprisingly poor at EDION Stadium lately and are winless in their last six home matches across all competitions. They have lost four times in that run, including 1-0 defeats to Tokushima Vortis and relegation threatened Vegalta Sendai.
Urawa Reds were also victorious in their previous J1-League fixture, knocking off Vissel Kobe 2-1. Following a scoreless first half, they burst into life after the break and secured the win thanks to efforts from Tatsuya Tanaka and Kasper Junker.
After enduring a slow start to the season, Urawa Reds appear to have found their rhythm in recent weeks. Ricardo Rodriguez’s team travel to EDION Stadium off the back of four wins from their last five J1-League matches, including a 3-0 victory over Gamba Osaka in their previous away fixture.
Urawa Reds also have a decent record on their recent travels and are unbeaten in three of their last four away matches across all competitions. However, they often struggle defensively on the road with just three clean sheets in their last 11 away matches.
How the bookies view it
Despite their recent struggles at home, Sanfrecce Hiroshima are still considered favourites among the bookies at 6/5 with William Hill. A victory for Urawa Reds is valued at 12/5 by bet365 while a draw is also set at odds of 12/5 by the same firm.
While Sanfrecce Hiroshima are expected to find the net on Wednesday, they have been unconvincing at home lately which means a win for Urawa Reds could be on the cards.
Head to head
Urawa Reds have the edge in this fixture with 20 wins from 38 previous matches. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have claimed just nine wins while there have also been nine stalemates between both teams, including a 1-1 draw in the most recent meeting.
Players to watch
Striker Junior Santos has three goals for Sanfrecce Hiroshima this season, including the equaliser against Cerezo Osaka last time out. With Yuya Asano also contributing four goals from midfield, the hosts will be hopeful of producing over 1.5 goals at 11/10 with bet365.
Having joined Urawa Reds in May, Danish striker Kasper Junker has already scored four times in three matches. With Tatsuya Tanaka also carrying a goal threat from midfield, over 1.5 goals could be on the cards for Urawa at 9/5 with betway.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Reds boasting quality in attack and often unconvincing at the back, both teams could be backed to score at 3/4 with bet365. Over 2.5 goals could be worth a punt at 42/41 with SBK, who is also offering 13/5 for over 3.5 goals.
Both teams have a habit of scoring after the break and could be backed to find the net in the second half at 12/5 with bet365. The second half could also be picked as the highest scoring half at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This Japan J1 League match between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Reds will be played on May 26, 2021 and kick off at 11:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Urawa Reds prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
