Game of the week, w/c 2 July

Best six pointer: FC Tokyo vs Kawasaki Frontale (Japan, 5% chance of determining destination of the J League title). The Tamagawu Classico between two teams 15 miles apart, even thought they are in different prefectures and separated by the Tama river. Kawasaki failed in thier three-peat attempt last season after winning the title in 2017 and 2018, while FC Tokyo finsihed as runners up last year and continue to seek a first title.

JAPANESE J LEAGUEGPPtsDiffExp Pts
Tokyo13255.1
Sanfrce Hiroshima13253
Kashiwa13245.2
Cerezo Osaka13156.3
Gamba Osaka13152
Red Diamonds Urawa13148.3
Front Kawasaki11056.7
Vissel Kobe11048.2
Yokohama11041.5
Sagan Tosu11039.2
Vegalta Sendai11038.3
Grampus Nagoya11034.8
Yokohama Marinos10-157.2
Oita10-137.3
Bellmare Shonan10-132.4
Antlrs Kashima10-253.8

The only other six pointer is also in Japan and also features Kawasaki Frontale, whose second game against likely title contenders in a week is against Kashima who finished a place above them in third last year. While the six pointers are in the Far East, the heavyweight clashes are all in Europe, with Italy providing four of the games, including the top heavyweight clash between Atalanta and Napoli. Napoli have two heavyweight clashes in a week.

SIX POINTERS

5%JapanFC TokyovsKawasaki Frontale0.12
4%JapanKawasaki FrontalevsKashima0.10

*The perfect six pointer would get a rating of 6, of course. This would correspond to a title decider in the strongest league (currently Spain’s Premier League). Honourable mentions (and appearance on the list) to any match-up getting above 0.06 – a clash that only has a 1% chance of determining the title in Spain, a game certain to decide the title in a league such as the Luxembourg top flight, or something in between. 

HEAVYWEIGHT CLASHES

Italy270AtalantavsNapoli259
Italy259NapolivsAS Roma217
England212WolvesvsArsenal211
Spain205Athletic BilbaovsReal Madrid368
Italy201AC MilanvsJuventus400
Italy269LaziovsAC Milan201
Spain200VillarrealvsBarcelona428

To be a heavyweight clash, both contestants have to weight in over 200 pounds. A 200 rating corresponds to a club as good as the eighth strongest team in the top league (Villarreal). There is no cap on heavyweights; at the moment the top-weight is Bayern Munich.

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