J.League Preview: Cerezo Osaka Has the Upper Hand in Derby History While Gamba Osaka’s Key Striker Suffers Goal Drought

On October 2nd at 18:00, the J.League will see a rescheduled 29th round match where Cerezo Osaka hosts their derby rivals, Gamba Osaka.

Cerezo Osaka’s home game on September 28th in the 32nd round of the J.League ended in a 0-0 draw against Kashiwa Reysol. The team only managed one shot on target during the game, and their key striker, Leo Ceara, who had recently regained form, fell back into a slump once again. Other attackers like Lucas Fernandes and Kapishaba were unable to break through Kashiwa Reysol’s flank defenses and provide support for central forwards such as Ryoichi Maeda. Regarding the team’s recent poor performance, Cerezo Osaka’s head coach, Akio Koguchi, whose position is precarious, said, “I feel very regretful, but there are also positive aspects. We conceded many goals recently, but this time we kept a clean sheet. I believe there were almost no threatening situations created, and everyone was working hard defensively.”

Currently, in the J.League standings, Cerezo Osaka is temporarily ranked 9th with a record of 10 wins, 12 draws, and 9 losses. The team is 17 points away from the top three, making it impossible to compete for the championship. However, in their 16 home games this season, Cerezo Osaka achieved an excellent record of 8 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses, ranking fourth in the league’s home scoring ability, just behind Hiroshima, Kashima, and Kobe. Nonetheless, in their last five home games, Cerezo Osaka only managed two draws, and their offensive and defensive states have been almost completely imbalanced. Head coach Akio Koguchi was close to being fired after the 3-5 loss to Kyoto, but the management gave him another chance to finish the season with the team.

In terms of lineup, Cerezo Osaka has no players affected by injuries for this game. However, young fullback, Jinju Takahashi, is absent due to his participation with the U19 national team in the qualifiers. Additionally, Cerezo Osaka’s key striker, Ceara, has accumulated 20 league goals this season, and the 29-year-old Brazilian star is likely to win the J.League Golden Boot this year.

Gamba Osaka, who are visiting, drew 1-1 at home against Tokyo Verdy in the league on September 28th. Despite forcing their opponents to bench their key attacker, Daiki Yamashita, due to an avoidance clause, they still failed to showcase their expected strength. Instead, they conceded a stunning goal from Kotaro Hiramatsu in the final moments of the game, and starting goalkeeper Jun Ichimori was clearly responsible for the goal. Regarding the team’s performance, Gamba Osaka’s head coach, Lotina, commented in the post-match press conference, “I don’t think we did well in taking our chances. In the second half, I adjusted the positioning, and I think from then on we started creating our own rhythm. But in the end, I wanted to tighten up the defense, but we were just unlucky, including the game against Kyoto.”

Currently, in the J.League standings, Gamba Osaka is temporarily ranked 5th with a record of 13 wins, 11 draws, and 7 losses. They are 9 points away from the top three, having fallen out of the championship race entirely. In their 15 away games this season, Gamba Osaka achieved a record of 5 wins, 7 draws, and 3 losses, averaging less than one goal per game, which is notably weaker compared to their home performances. In their last three away league matches, Gamba Osaka drew against Kashiwa Reysol, Vissel Kobe, and Kyoto Sanga, with coach Lotina replicating his draw-heavy nature from his Tokushima period, failing to deliver satisfactory offensive and defensive performances in crucial moments.

In terms of lineup, Gamba Osaka’s two core foreign players, Jebali and Ravi, are sidelined due to injuries. Additionally, starting right-back Riku Hatanaka, new summer transfer Daichi Hayashi, captain Gen Shoji, and goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa are also unavailable. Moreover, Gamba Osaka’s key attacker, Takashi Usami, has not scored in six consecutive matches, showing a declining form.

In the previous 20 Osaka derbies, Cerezo Osaka achieved an excellent record of 10 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses. This match was originally scheduled for September but was postponed to the Golden Week holiday due to typhoon weather. With both teams struggling, Cerezo Osaka is seeking ways to activate their offense, while Gamba Osaka, who haven’t won in the league for two months, also need to find a way to turn things around. What sparks will these two teams create?

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