Urawa Reds vs Cerezo Osaka

The stakes are high for Urawa Reds and Cerezo Osaka as they lock horns in a must-win J1 League clash at the Saitama Stadium.

Urawa’s pursuit of their first J1 League title since 2006 took another hit in midweek league action. A 2-1 defeat at Nagoya Grampus saw them fall seven points behind table-topping Kashima Antlers, extending their torrid run to just one win across their previous five league outings (D2, L2). High scoring has recently become a common theme in Urawa’s matches, with the last three seeing over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet. Manager Maciej Skorza would likely appreciate results over entertainment, and he can draw heart from Urawa’s impressive run of seven wins from eight home league outings since a 2-0 loss to Kashiwa Reysol in their opening game at the Saitama Stadium (L1). Cerezo Osaka’s upcoming visit spells further trouble, with Urawa losing three of their last four H2Hs at home (W1).

On the other hand, Cerezo Osaka’s strong form on Urawa’s home ground isn’t the encouragement the visitors can get after seeing off Avispa Fukuoka 2-0 in their last warm-up fixture. Indeed, Arthur Papas’ men have hit the ground running since the beginning of May, winning five of their six competitive matches (L1). Yet, the only blemish on this near-flawless run came on their most recent league trip as Kawasaki Frontale beat them 2-0, consigning them to a ninth winless away league game from ten this season (D6, L3). Cerezo’s travel sickness is the reason they trail their hosts by five points and languish seven adrift of the coveted third spot.