Albirex Niigata vs. Shonan Bellmare Match Preview Article

Albirex Niigata, Recent Form

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A 0-0 draw against Machida Zelvia will be viewed as a positive outcome for Albirex Niigata and a valuable point into the bargain.  Their share of possession in that meeting was 66%, while racking up 9 shots along the way, 3 of which were on target, in contrast to Machida Zelvia, who had 7 shots on goal with 2 on target.  

It seems pretty certain that Rikizo Matsuhashi will be quite pleased with his squad's ability to score goals in recent matches, having managed 7 goals in their past 6 outings. In contrast, however, he will be concerned that their defensive qualities look a little more fragile, with 5 goals conceded in those matches and some crucial points dropped.  They have had a recent run of 3 clean sheets, and playing at home, they have scored in 5 of their last 6 games.  

Having drawn 3 of their last 6 home games they have at least put some points on the board, but they will not be overly happy with only 1 win.  

Shonan Bellmare, Recent Form

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Shonan Bellmare will be happy to take away 3 points from their last match, with an important 2-1 away win against Sagan Tosu.  In that game they had 45% possession and managed 12 attempts on goal, with 4 on target, compared to Sagan Tosu who had 10 attempts and 1 on target.  

They have circumvented their opponent's defence to score 6 times in their last 6 league games but unfortunately haven't managed to lock things down at their end, conceding 5 goals in these games and, in the process, missing out on some valuable points.  Of the 18 games they have played away from home this season, they have scored in 13 of them, but they've conceded at least one goal in 25 of their 29 games both home and away.  

They've had a good run of form away from home recently, with 4 straight wins in a row and are on an unbeaten run of 6 games.  

On an individual basis, Satoshi Tanaka will be looking to cause Albirex Niigata some problems having scored 2 goals in Shonan Bellmare's last 6 away games in the league.