Match Report
On the table this was a mismatch: Vissel Kobe (2nd, 83 pts) held a 28-point advantage over Mito Hollyhock (15th, 55 pts). Vissel Kobe had been under-performing their position — 7th on five-round form against 2nd in the table. Against a league average of 1.31 goals per team per game, Vissel Kobe ran at 1.86 scored and 0.98 conceded, Mito Hollyhock at 1.19 and 1.38.
Vissel Kobe arrived on a run of four straight wins. A win had eluded Mito Hollyhock for 5 matches. Recent form was uneven: 12/15 points for Vissel Kobe, 2/15 for Mito Hollyhock.
NOEVIR Stadium Kobe in Kobe, capacity 35,910, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 1-1.