J1 League Match Preview: Kashiwa Reysol make J1 return at home against Consadole Sapporo

Kashiwa Reysol will announce their return to the Japanese top flight when they face Consadole Sapporo at home on Saturday.

The Chiba-based club earned promotion with little difficulty, topping the J2 League with 84 points and an impressive +52 goal difference, double that of 2nd place Yokohama FC.

Their rampant league campaign included a J League-record 13-1 win over promotion rivals Kyoto Sanga.

The visitors, on the other hand, will be hoping for an improved showing from last season, where they finished in 10th place.

Since arriving in 2018, manager Mihailo Petrovic has successfully implemented his brand of attacking football.

Both sides play attacking football and this has all the makings of a highly entertaining clash.

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Key Talking Points: Kashiwa Reysol

• Reysol have retained the key components of their attack. Long-serving Brazilian striker Cristiano and Kenyan international Olunga are likely to be the main source of goals.
• Young and promising goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura is still injured and unlikely to start for Reysol at the weekend.
• The last time Kashiwa earned promotion back to J1 they went on to win the league title.

Key Talking Points: Consadole Sapporo

• A lack of consistency was what plagued Sapporo’s 2019 league campaign. They were unable to string back-to-back wins since May and that's something they will look to address this season.
• Former England international Jay Bothroyd and Musashi Suzuki look set to form a formidable striking partnership for the 2020 season. The pair tallied a total of 22 league goals in 2019.
• Consadole were unfortunate not to win the Levain Cup last season, as they were beaten in a penalty shoot-out by eventual winners Kawasaki Frontale.