Sagan Tosu vs Gamba Osaka

Sagan Tosu and Gamba Osaka are set to square off at the Ekimae Real Estate Stadium in a mid-table J1 League clash.

Sagan Tosu thought they were on the verge of ending a run of consecutive J1 League matches without winning (D1, L1) before turning a 2-0 HT lead into a 4-4 draw at Kashima Antlers last time out. A morale-crushing stalemate against the current J1 League leaders has left Sagan languishing in mid-table lethargy, with seven points now separating them from third-placed Yokohama F. Marinos. Though they enter this round unbeaten in all six home league matches this term (W2, D4), their last three such fixtures have ended level, with two of them yielding a ‘nil-nil’ score. Yet, Sagan wouldn’t mind another draw, especially after losing their last two top-flight home meetings with Gamba by a narrow one-goal margin.

As for Gamba Osaka, a 3-1 defeat at Cerezo Osaka last time out has curtailed their momentum, ending their run of three league games without losing (W2, D1). Since they are currently closer to the drop zone than interfering in the top-half battle, the visitors will hope to defy their dreadful six-game league form on the road (W1, D3, L2). Scoring first could be a key component in Gamba’s bid to stretch their winning league streak at Tosu to three, as they’ve failed to win any of their four away J1 League fixtures when conceding the opening goal this term (D3, L1). That’s unsurprising, though, based on Gamba’s sub-par scoring ratio of 0.85 goals per J1 League travel.