#	Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	Diff	Pts	Pts/G	W%	ØGF	ØGA
1.	Kashima	30	18	4	8	45	27	+18	58	1.93	60%	1.50	0.90
2.	Kyoto	30	16	7	7	53	32	+21	55	1.83	53%	1.77	1.07
3.	Kashiwa Reysol	30	15	10	5	43	29	+14	55	1.83	50%	1.43	0.97
4.	Vissel Kobe	30	16	6	8	37	26	+11	54	1.80	53%	1.23	0.87
5.	Machida Zelvia	30	15	6	9	46	32	+14	51	1.70	50%	1.53	1.07
6.	Hiroshima	30	15	6	9	35	21	+14	51	1.70	50%	1.17	0.70
7.	Kawasaki F.	30	13	9	8	53	39	+14	48	1.60	43%	1.77	1.30
8.	Urawa	30	13	8	9	39	32	+7	47	1.57	43%	1.30	1.07
9.	Cerezo Osaka	30	11	10	9	47	42	+5	43	1.43	37%	1.57	1.40
10.	Gamba	30	13	4	13	39	44	-5	43	1.43	43%	1.30	1.47
11.	Shimizu	30	10	9	11	33	36	-3	39	1.30	33%	1.10	1.20
12.	Fagiano Okayama	30	11	6	13	28	33	-5	39	1.30	37%	0.93	1.10
13.	Fukuoka	30	9	10	11	30	34	-4	37	1.23	30%	1.00	1.13
14.	Tokyo	30	10	7	13	32	42	-10	37	1.23	33%	1.07	1.40
15.	Nagoya Grampus	30	9	8	13	38	43	-5	35	1.17	30%	1.27	1.43
16.	Tokyo Verdy	30	9	8	13	20	31	-11	35	1.17	30%	0.67	1.03
17.	Yokohama F. Marinos	30	7	7	16	28	38	-10	28	0.93	23%	0.93	1.27
18.	Yokohama FC	30	7	6	17	20	36	-16	27	0.90	23%	0.67	1.20
19.	Shonan Bellmare	30	6	7	17	27	53	-26	25	0.83	20%	0.90	1.77
20.	Albirex Niigata	30	4	8	18	27	50	-23	20	0.67	13%	0.90	1.67

 

Eight rounds left to play and still a lot at stake, every team has something to play for, although I would say that those in blue type are pretty much safe from relegation concerns and too far adrift of too many teams above them in the table to force their way into Champions League, let alone title contention.

 

Vissel Kobe , Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia are involved in the Champions League Elite league stage which has just got underway, with five more rounds left to play this year and two in February 2026 ( I know!).

 

The J-League Cup is at the semi final stage.....Sanfrecce, Kawasaki Frontale, Kashiwa Reysol and Yokohama FC , with the last four meeting home and away during the upcoming October international break and with the final on November 1st.

 

The Emperor's Cup is also down to four teams......with Machida meeting FC Tokyo and Vissel Kobe playing Sanfrecce in November in a one off game with the final being held later that month. 

 

Gamba Osaka are the only team playing in the Champions League 2, where the group stage has just started and they play the remaining five games before the end of the year. That offers a route into the Elite competition and might be Gamba's priority, but they look almost certain to finish first /top 2 in their section anyway and one of the stronger teams taking part and that competition feels like the Asian Conference League at best.

 

It is a daunting schedule for several of those teams, with Sanfrecce for example, playing 16 (hopefully for them 18 ) games, in the next 11 weeks.

 

 

Sanfrecce Hiroshima come out top for xP with 54 points, this is the third season running that they have been statistically the best team in Japan, but it is a decade since they won a J-League 1 title. They should have scored an additional 10 goals (xGA).

 

Yokohama FC should be 8 points and 8 goals better off and they found their way past Machida, Cerezo and Vissel in the League Cup to further highlight what they are or should be capable of in the league.

 

Nagoya Grampus should be 7 points better off and conceded 9 goals fewer. 

 

FC Tokyo should be six points and a whopping 11 goals xGD better and are in the Emperor's Cup semi final where they have shown their better side. Thye do not have to worry about that for now, are building up a head of steam , unbeaten in four with back to back wins over Verdy in a derby game and at a strong Kawasaki Frontale and might have eyes on a top 10 push.

 

Shonan Bellmare should be 7 points and 12 goals (xGD) better and they have averaged more home goals per game than nine other teams

 

Albirex Niigata should be 16 points and 16 goals better off, that is extreme , even for teams at the bottom, but they haven't won in months (June 15), or scored in their last three starts or more than a single goal in 11 games.

 

 

Like most teams at or near the top of the table, Kashima Antlers have overperformed, but xP says to the tune of 19 points and xGD by 22 goals which are expreme numbers.

 

Kyoto Sanga likewise, by 12 points and 18 goals (xGD).

 

Urawa Reds should have 7 points fewer and be 10 goals worse off and they have been flat track bullies and we discussed at the weekend how they have underperformed big time against top half of the table opposition.

 

Fagiano Okayama are the only team in the bottom half of the table who should be worse off (by 7 points and 6 goals), which has got some red flags waving wildly. They have also lost their last three starts by a combined 10-2 and it could be that a first ever J-League 1 campaign in their history, is starting to catch up on them.

 

Good luck!