League-position context
Shimizu S-pulse rank16th
Kashiwa Reysol rank7th
Shimizu S-pulse points28
Kashiwa Reysol points52
Shimizu S-pulse: #16 ยท 28 pts ยท GD -22
37 pts off the top 2. 20 pts off the play-off line. 8 pts from safety.
Kashiwa Reysol: #7 ยท 52 pts ยท GD +14
13 pts off the top 2. 5 pts above the play-off edge. 19 pts clear of the relegation zone.
24-point gap between the two sides coming into kick-off.