The dictates of the new season indicate that the imposing visitors Okayama Fagiano set all hell loose on the hosts, Cerezo Osaka in the eighth matchday of the prestigious J League. The last five games for the Cherry Blossoms rolled out no win, and while the visitors looked to secure solid footing in the upper chambers, we were assured of a nail-biting encounter between these sides who have shown the ability to keep tricks up their sleeves. The last time these two sides played was in 2016, and the scoreline read a 1-0 victory for Cerezo Osaka.

Cerezo Osaka (17th)

Recent Form: L-D-D-L-D

So far, the hosts have reeled off unexpected performances to both critics and pundits. The inconsistent run quizzes the loyalists who continue to wonder how badly the team, who finished decently last year, have fallen through the rubble.

In the last seven games, they have scored eleven goals in seven games and conceded twelve. Scrapping three stalemates, one win, and three losses in these contests, they currently perch in the seventh spot of the league pairing with relegation-threatened side, Vissel Kobe.

Last week, they opened scoring early against Urawa Red Diamonds, holding three points till the 83rd minute when Ryoma Watanabe equalized the scales and split the spoils. They have been wretched at home, with one loss and two stalemates in four recent games.

Fagiano Okayama (6th)

Recent Form: W-D-L-D-L

Safe to say, Okayama has astonished everyone who has watched them this season, coming from the junior tier since the 2016 campaign and unseating heavy favorites to secure a spot in the race for the elite hood. The side plundered through martinis defenses last week and seized all points in the 1-0 victory despite the quality disparity between the sides. With a lot of box-to-box attempts the keeper stood his ground with a lot of impressive saves. The second goal was nullified upon a second VAR Check, leaving the final scoreline at 1-0. Despite the overwhelming gap in quality, they rallied to defend their weakness and capitalized on their strength in set pieces.

TABLE SORTS - Cerezo Osaka vs Fagiano Okayama

Expert Betting Tips

While the visitors are considered brutes on a set-piece, the hosts are relentlessly stubborn and have all the resources to foster frustration on all ends. My best picks are:

+ A BTTS at 1.83 odds from Betway

+ A stalemate at 3.38 odds from Bet365

+ Under 2.5 goals at 1.72 odds from 1xbet.