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J1 League fans will be treated to a top of the table clash this weekend when league-leaders FC Tokyo host local rivals Yokohama F Marinos.
Should the visitors win by more than two goals, they will draw level with Tokyo on 33 points but move to the top of the table due to the fact that they have scored more goals.
FC Tokyo are still in a period of transition after losing key attacker Takefusa Kubo to Real Madrid earlier this month. They have only managed 2 league wins from their last 5 matches and are seemingly on course for a mid-season slide.
On the other hand, Marinos have won 4 of their last 5 games and have scored the highest number of goals this season with 27, 6 more than Tokyo. With Marcos Junior back from suspension and top scorer Edigar Junio in top form, Yokohama will be looking to capitalize on the hosts' vulnerabilities and leapfrog them to the top of the table.
Since arriving at the Nissan-owned club, Head Coach, Ange Postecoglou, has persisted with his high-pressure, ultra-attacking approach. This has raised eyebrows in Japan as it is in stark contrast to the typical regimented, and often unexpressive characteristics of Japanese soccer.
Tokyo do have bragging rights in terms of head to head meetings. At the Ajinomoto Stadium, the hosts cruised to a 5-2 victory and then went on to win the return fixture at Nissan Stadium 1-0. That will definitely play on the minds of the Marinos players as they look to exact revenge for those defeats.
If the Tokyo defense is able to hold firm, Yokohama are likely to get frustrated and leave gaps which the hosts' midfielders can then exploit. Hasegawa's men have struggled to find the net in the last few games and they need create space for their two front men, Diego Oliveira and Kensuke Nagai, to operate in if they are to stand a chance of pulling off a victory.
