Cerezo Osaka vs Urawa Reds

Yodoko Sakura Stadium sets the stage for a mid-table J1 League showdown between Cerezo Osaka and Urawa Reds.

Cerezo Osaka’s bid to better last season’s 9th-place finish isn’t going to plan. Stuck in the exact same position after 17 rounds, the hosts head into proceedings after back-to-back 1-1 draws against Kyoto and Hiroshima, seeking their first league win since a 3-0 thumping of Avispa Fukuoka in mid-May. But that victory came on the road, while at home, they’ve not won a top-flight match since squeaking past Kawasaki 1-0 in early April. Hiroaki Morishima’s men have followed that success with a four-game winless home league run (D3, L1), largely thanks to conceding the opening goal on each occasion. A glimmer of confidence stems from a comfortable 3-1 Emperor’s Cup win against non-league outfit J-Lease in midweek, which halted their disheartening four-game winless streak in competitive action.

Meanwhile, Urawa Reds overcame a halftime deficit to hold defending champions Vissel Kobe to a 1-1 draw last time out, boosting their morale amidst a rough start to the season. However, a three-game winless league run (D2, L1) perhaps best illustrates the visitors’ crisis, as they commence this round in 8th place. But with only six points separating them from 3rd-placed Gamba Osaka, they’re still in the running for a continental finish, though addressing their travel sickness remains a priority. Indeed, Per-Mathias Hogmo’s charges have only won twice in their eight away league matches (D2, L4), leaking goals at an alarming rate. Except for a 1-0 win at Consadole Sapporo in early March, they’ve conceded on all seven remaining J1 League travels at an average of 2.14 per game.