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
![Shonan Bellmare head coach Satoshi Yamaguchi during the 2024 J1 League match between Shonan Bellmare 4-4 Urawa Red Diamonds at Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka in Kanagawa, Japan, March 17, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/25/satoshi-yamaguchi.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Shonan Bellmare head coach Satoshi Yamaguchi during the 2024 J1 League match between Shonan Bellmare 4-4 Urawa Red Diamonds at Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka in Kanagawa, Japan, March 17, 2024 [IMAGO]")
© 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.
![Shigetoshi Hasebe (Avispa) - Football / Soccer : 2024 J1 League match between Yokohama F. Marinos - Avispa Fukuoka at Nissan Stadium, Kanagawa, Japan - MARCH 1, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/shigetoshi-hasebe.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Shigetoshi Hasebe (Avispa) - Football / Soccer : 2024 J1 League match between Yokohama F. Marinos - Avispa Fukuoka at Nissan Stadium, Kanagawa, Japan - MARCH 1, 2024 [IMAGO]")
© 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.
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Team News
![Shonan Bellmare's Lukian on March 17, 2024 [Imago]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/lukian.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Shonan Bellmare's Lukian on March 17, 2024 [Imago]")
© Imago
Shonan Bellmare could be unchanged from their 1-0 victory away at Gamba Osaka last month, with Junnosuke Suzuki, Kim Min-tae and Naoya Takahashi bound to continue in a back three after seeing out a crucial clean sheet.
Lukian will continue to spearhead the attack, having notched up 13 goals so far this season, while Sho Fukuda will fight to come in and join him having managed seven of his own after Akito Suzuki was preferred against Gamba Osaka.
Taiga Hata will offer further support going forward after netting their decisive goal in that contest, while Akimi Barada, Masaki Ikeda and Satoshi Tanaka will all hope to keep their places in the centre.
Avispa Fukuoka are set to travel on Wednesday without defenders Tatsuki Nara, Yota Maejima and Masato Yuzawa, all of whom missed their defeat to Tokyo Verdy through injury.
Shahab Zahedi, who leads their scoring charts with nine goals so far this season, will fight to come in and lead the line from the outset, having settled for a substitute appearance in their last outing with Ryoga Sato preferred from the start.
Key defender Masaya Tashiro should again be joined in a back three by Daiki Miya and Masashi Kamekawa, while Daiki Matsuoka and Hiroyuki Mae are mainstays in the engine room.
Shonan Bellmare possible starting lineup:
Song; Takahashi, Kim, J Suzuki; Y Suzuki, Barada, Tanaka, Ikeda, Hata; Lukian, A Suzki
Avispa Fukuoka possible starting lineup:
Murakami; Miya, Tashiro, Kamekawa; Oda, Mae, Matsuoka, Iwasaki; Konno, Zahedi, Sato
We say: Shonan Bellmare 1-1 Avispa Fukuoka
Both teams are experiencing runs of form contrasting to their starts to the J1 League campaign, and Wednesday's encounter promises to be an exciting one.
While the visitors have enjoyed the stronger season so far, it is Shonan Bellmare who come into the game with all of the momentum from their winning streak, and we anticipate a low-scoring draw given the recent runs.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
![Samu Omorodion in action for Alaves in February 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/11/29/1x1.gif?w=1&h=1 "Samu Omorodion in action for Alaves in February 2024 [IMAGO]")
