Montedio Yamagata welcome Shonan Bellmare on Monday, May 3 at 12:00 PM in a J2 League fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 2 points split them in the table.

Montedio Yamagata come into this fixture in mixed form (2W 0D 3L). Shonan Bellmare, meanwhile, arrive in mixed form (2W 2D 1L) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks. Montedio Yamagata head into this on the back of a defeat, while Shonan Bellmare arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Montedio Yamagata and Shonan Bellmare have split their 10 meetings almost evenly (4W–1D–5W). Their last encounter ended in Montedio Yamagata won 0–1.

Verdict: Little separates these two on form or history. Home advantage could be the deciding factor — a narrow Montedio Yamagata win or a draw looks most likely.