Urawa Red Diamonds vs Machida prediction, preview, team news and more

Urawa Red Diamonds welcome Machida Zelvia to the Saitama Stadium for a J1 League round 16 fixture on Sunday (May 26). The hosts are coming off a 1-0 defeat at V-Varen Nagasaki in the YBC Levain Cup.

The J2 League outfit were reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute following Malcolm Moyo's dismissal. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Juanma Delgado scored the winner eight minutes later.

Urawa now turn their focus back to the league, where their last game saw them share the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Jubilo Iwata.

Machida, meanwhile, saw off Kashima with a routine 2-0 home win over Kashima in the YBC Levain Cup. Mitchell Duke scored a first-half brace to inspire his side into the next round.

Go Kuroda's side's last league game saw them claim maximum maximum points with a 5-0 thrashing of Tokyo Verdy at home. The victory saw them climb to the summit of the standings, having garnered 32 points from 15 games. Meanwhile Urawa are fifth with 24 points after 15 games.

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Machida Head-to-Head

Urawa claimed a 7-1 away win in the Emperor's Cup in November 2015 in their only meeting.

Urawa Red Diamonds form guide (all competitions): L-D-W-W-W

Machida form guide (all competitions): W-W-W-D-W

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Machida Team News

Urawa Red Diamonds

There are no injuries or suspension worries for the hosts.

Injuries: None

Doubtful: None

Suspension: None

Machida

There are no injuries or suspension worries for Machida.

Injuries: None

Doubtful: None

Suspension: None

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Machida Predicted XIs

Urawa Red Diamonds (4-3-3): Shusaku Nishikawa (GK); Ayumu Ohata, Marius Hoibraaten, Alexander Scholz, Hirokazu Ishihara; Kaito Yasui, Ryoma Watanabe, Atsuki Ito; Shoya Nakajima, Thiago Santana, Naoki Maeda

Machida (4-4-2): Kosei Tani (GK); Kotaro Hayashi, Gen Shoji, Min-Gyu Jang, Junya Suzuki; Kazuki Fujimoto, Keiya Sento, Kai Shibato, Yu Hirakawa; Se-Hun Oh, Shota Fujio

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Machida Prediction

Five of Urawa's last six league games have had goals at both ends, with Per-Mathias Hogmo's side unbeaten in four, winning three.

Machida, meanwhile, are competing in the J1 League for the first time in their 35-year history, having gained promotion as J2 League champions last season. However, Go Kurada's side haven't shown any jitters at competing at this level and have taken to the top flight like a duck to water.

Expect the visitors to claim all three points with a narrow win and goals at both ends.

Prediction: Urawa 1-2 Machida

About the author

Elvis is a seasoned football journalist and has been with Sportskeeda for more than 6 years. He specializes in writing match previews across several leagues and competitions around the world, and his insightful tips have amassed a total readership in excess of 9.2 million till date. Elvis' meticulous attention to detail and strictly following SK's editorial guidelines have been key to achieving a vast readership. He has also exclusively covered the 2021 Nigerian Universiy Games and has provided research for an upcoming biography for a Nigerian football legend.

Elvis has been a Super Eagles fan since 2004, and them beating defending champions Cameroon in the AFCON that year left a lasting impact on him. He supports Sporting Lagos at club level and loves to watch games live at the Onikan Stadium due to its buzzing atmosphere. His favorite football players are former Nigerian forward, Osaze Odemwingie and former Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez.

If Elvis could change one football rule, it would be to not be booked for celebrating with pitch side fans. He believes that football is a passionate game and celebrations should be encouraged to the fullest. When not analyzing the latest previews, Elvis indulges in activities such as swimming, reading, and karaoke.

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Edited by Bhargav

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Machida prediction, preview, team news and more | J1 League 2024