Imabari vs Consadole Sapporo Prediction

Right then, let's have a proper look at this mid-table scrap in the J2 League. Imabari sitting pretty in 10th with 52 points, while Consadole Sapporo are just behind in 12th on 49 points. Only three points between 'em, so there's still something to play for here.

Now, here's where it gets interesting, mate. Imabari's recent form has been a bit hit and miss, hasn't it? Three wins, three draws, and four losses in their last ten. They're scoring a decent 1.20 goals per game, but here's the killer stat - they haven't kept a single clean sheet in their last ten matches! Not one! That's shocking stuff for a team trying to climb the table. They did put three past Vegalta Sendai in a 3-2 win, but then they went and lost 2-1 to Montedio Yamagata in their last outing.

Consadole Sapporo, on the other hand, are a proper Jekyll and Hyde side. Five wins and five losses in their last ten - no draws whatsoever! They're scoring 1.40 goals per game but letting in 1.90, which explains why they're so inconsistent. They'll bang in three against Oita Trinita one week, then ship five against JEF United the next. But here's the thing that catches my eye - their away form has been absolutely brilliant recently. They've won three of their last four away games, scoring two goals per game on their travels compared to just one at home.

The head-to-head record shows just one previous meeting, which ended 2-2, so not much to go on there. But when you look at the venue form, it's night and day. Imabari have won just 25% of their home games recently, while Consadole are winning 75% of their away matches. That's a massive mismatch if you ask me.

Both teams seem to struggle defensively, with both teams scoring in most of their matches. Imabari have seen both teams score in 70% of their games, while Consadole are at 60%. But given Consadole's away scoring record (2.00 goals per game away) and Imabari's inability to keep clean sheets, I'm leaning towards the visitors here.