FC Tokyo will be aiming for three straight wins in all competitions when they welcome relegation-threatened Kashiwa Reysol to Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu on Saturday evening.
The hosts have scored five goals and conceded just once in back-to-back successes recently, while Kashiwa are looking to distance themselves from the drop zone with a victory.
Match preview
Tokyo recorded consecutive wins for the first time since late April with a convincing 2-0 victory over Nagoya Grampus at Ajinomoto Stadium last Saturday.
It was a sprinkling of Brazilian flair which earned the hosts a much-needed maximum, with 33-year-old Diego Oliveira netting either side of the half-time whistle to bag his eighth and ninth goals of the league campaign.
Despite progressing in the League Cup against Kyoto Sanga almost a fortnight ago, Albert Puig's men have been struggling for the most part recently, having won just two of their last eight league matches.
Such form has left the Gas sitting 11th in the J League standings - a sizeable 13-point gap lies between Tokyo and third-placed Nagoya, meaning a first top-three finish since 2019 is looking unlikely.
Since earning promotion from the second tier as champions in 2011, Tokyo have only placed outside the top 10 in the J League on one occasion, although Puig's charges could soon join the team of 2017 on a list of the club's bottom-half finishers.
Kashiwa ended a run of league defeats last time out by playing out a goalless draw with fellow strugglers Albirex Niigata at Sankuo Frontier Stadium.
The Gold and Blacks are enduring a difficult season so far in which is their fourth back at this level following a second-tier title in 2019, with the team currently seven league matches without maximum points.
The only side Kashiwa have defeated since May 3 is Yamanashi Gakuin University, although Masami Ihara would not have gained much joy from that contest, despite seeing his team win 7-1.
Currently sitting 16th in the J League standings, Kashiwa are only a point ahead of 18th-placed Shonan Bellmare, with 17th-placed Yokohama the only team to net fewer goals than Ihara's charges this term.
A standout performer for the Gold and Blacks so far has been striker Mao Hosoya, and the 21-year-old will be hoping to add to his tally of five J League goals in order to fire his side away from trouble.
Team News
Tokyo are unlikely to make many changes from the side who did so well against AFC Champions League-chasing Nagoya last weekend, but Teruhito Nakagawa is a doubt after being forced off in the first half last time out.
Koki Tsukagawa could therefore be handed only his fifth start of the league season on Saturday, with the 28-year-old still finding his feet at this level after a nine-goal year with Matsumoto Yamaga in the second tier in 2020.
Kashiwa have an injury concern of their own after Eiichi Katayama was unable to reappear for the second half of the draw against Albirex last weekend, meaning Naoki Kawaguchi could be brought in at right-back.
Kenta Matsumoto saved a penalty in his team's goalless draw last Saturday, and he will be looking to record only his fourth clean sheet of the season at Ajinomoto Stadium this time out.
FC Tokyo possible starting lineup:
Slowik; Koizumi, Morishige, Henrique, Nagatomo; Matsuki, Abe, Watanabe; Tsukagawa, Tawaratsumida; Oliveira
Kashiwa Reysol possible starting lineup:
Matsumoto; Kawaguchi, Tsuchiya, Koga, Mitsumaru; Toshima, Takamine, Shiihashi, Koyamatsu; Hosoya, Savio
We say: FC Tokyo 2-1 Kashiwa Reysol
Tokyo were at their best to beat third-placed Nagoya last weekend, and the Gas should be confident of easing past a Kashiwa side who have been conceding plenty of goals on their travels this term.
Kashiwa have failed to score in their last two matches after netting a remarkable 14 in the previous three - we are envisaging a difficult evening in Chofu for the visitors on Saturday.
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Top tip
Carter White
