Gamba Osaka vs Kashiwa Reysol

Panasonic Stadium Suita forms the backdrop for a bottom-half J1 League showdown between high-flying Gamba Osaka and downtrodden Kashiwa Reysol.

Following a dreadful 14-game J1 League start (W1, D4, L9), Gamba Osaka have hit a purple patch, clocking up an eye-catching five wins in their last six league outings (D1) to move ten points clear of basement boys Shonan Bellmare. Dani Poyatos’ men have developed a habit of excelling in tight, evenly-contested affairs, with three of their last four top-flight victories yielding a single-goal margin. Securing a halftime lead would probably guarantee Gamba another precious three points, as they’ve been victorious in all three home league fixtures when leading the break this season. The hosts can draw further confidence from a four-game unbeaten H2H league run against Kashiwa (W2, D2), though it’s worth noting their last two meetings have ended level.

In the meantime, Kashiwa Reysol may have thrashed lower-league Tukushima 2-0 in midweek Emperor’s Cup action, but their recent league performances have flattered to deceive. You’d need to go back to the beginning of May for Kashiwa’s last top-flight triumph. But since dispatching out-of-sorts Shonan two months ago, the visitors have strung together nine league games without winning (D4, L5), drawing a blank in two of the most recent three. If that’s not enough to dampen their spirits, Masami Ihara’s troops lament the joint-worst traveling record in this season’s J1 League (W1, D2, L6), including three defeats on the trot in the build-up to this trip.