Kawasaki Frontale vs Shimizu: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

Kawasaki Frontale have made a sluggish start to the current J1 League campaign. After five rounds, the club has managed only a single victory, leaving them with six points and a lowly 11th place in the standings. Their opponents, Shimizu S-Pulse, are in the midst of a crisis of their own. Under Takayuki Yoshida, the side has collected just one point from the last four matches. Can they avoid defeat on this tricky away trip?

Tactical Analysis: Kawasaki Frontale

So far, "Frontale" have little to boast about. The squad is dealing with personnel problems: three players are sidelined in the treatment room. The absence of striker Yū Kobayashi is particularly painful. Without his contribution, the team has been unable to score more than a single goal in matches against opponents who are not inferior in class.

In the previous J1 League round, Kawasaki suffered a 1–2 defeat at the hands of Machida. Once again, Toru Oniki’s men allowed their rivals far too much freedom in their own half. In terms of expected goals (xG), Frontale came out second best: 0.65 against 1.48. They also lost the battle for shots on target (2–6) and corner kicks (2–6). Even taking an early lead did not help Kawasaki. The opponent outperformed them in every department and fully deserved to turn the result around.

Tactical Analysis: Shimizu S-Pulse

Under Takayuki Yoshida, Shimizu have completely forgotten how to find the net in the current season. Over the last four rounds, the team has scored only once. Defensively, "S-Pulse" have looked much more solid, but opponents have often needed just one accurate strike to claim victory. After five matches, Shimizu have a mere four points and sit in a modest 16th place on the table.

In the fifth round, Shimizu played out a 1–1 home draw with FC Tokyo. Yoshida’s side again looked very weak. They were outclassed by the capital club in expected goals (1.31 against 3.64) and in shots on target (3–5). The standout performer was Shimizu’s goalkeeper, who made four saves in that encounter. Notably, after conceding first, the orange-clad side did not fall apart and managed to equalise, picking up a vital single point.

Prediction and Bet

Main prediction: Kawasaki Frontale to win at 1.88. At their home stadium, Kawasaki can produce attacking football and score plenty of goals. Over the last five head-to-head meetings against Shimizu, Frontale have always won on their own turf. The current S-Pulse look extremely blunt in attack. In five rounds, they have found the back of the net only twice. With such modest attacking numbers, it will be very difficult for the club to expect a positive result on this away trip.

Prediction on total goals: Over 2.5 at 1.61. On average, Kawasaki score 1.8 goals per game in the current championship while conceding 1.6. Shimizu S-Pulse average just 0.4 goals per match, and their opponents send 0.8 goals into their net. The average total goals per game for the two sides are 3.4 and 1.2 respectively. Under Oniki, Kawasaki at home play an open style and allow the opponent to do the same. We back over 2.5 goals.