J1 League Match Preview: League leaders FC Tokyo host Gamba Osaka at Ajinomoto Stadium this weekend

High flying FC Tokyo aim to increase their lead at the top of the J1 League in this Sunday`s clash against Gamba Osaka. The club from the capital go into the match on high spirits after winning last weekend's 6-goal thriller against the now 3rd placed Yokohama F Marinos in a 4-2 thriller at Ajinomoto Stadium.

The visitors are also in top form and are unbeaten in 6 league games. They have done well to lift themselves out of the danger zone and currently sit in 13th place. Young forwards Keito Nakamura and Ryotaro Meshino will join Hwang Ui-jo to form the attacking 3 with a wealth of experience sitting behind in midfield with Yasuhito Endo, Shu Kurata and Shinya Yajima looking to control the middle of the park.

New addition Takashi Usami will not be eligible to feature on Sunday and is likely to make his first appearance since resigning for the Kansai based club when they face Shimizu S-Pulse at home next Saturday.

The hosts are likely to be unchanged from last weekend with Diego Oliveira and Kensuke Nagai as the two front men. Korean international Na Sang-ho has provided some of the much-needed creativity that has been missing since young attacking midfielder Takefusa Kubo signed for Real Madrid last month.

Tokyo`s form has slipped since Kubo`s departure. They have won 2 and lost 3 of their last 5 games and tend to struggle against opponents that favor a compact, defensive set up. While their mastery of the counter-attack has taken them to the top of the table this season, they do not seem to have a plan B and generally drop points to teams that play them at their own game.

In the previous fixture between the clubs, Gamba were able to maintain a tight defensive line and earn a point with a 0-0 draw. Therefore the home side may seek to sit back and draw out their opponents in an attempt to create the space that has been essential for their counter-attacking style this season.