Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Kashima Antlers win with a probability of 45.95%. A win for Sanfrecce Hiroshima had a probability of 27.82% and a draw had a probability of 26.2%.
The most likely scoreline for a Kashima Antlers win was 1-0 with a probability of 11.62%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.07%) and 2-0 (8.46%). The likeliest Sanfrecce Hiroshima win was 0-1 (8.55%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.45%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with an 11.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Kashima Antlers in this match.