Gamba Osaka will host Cerezo Osaka at the Panasonic Stadium on Sunday in the latest edition of the Osaka Derby. The two city rivals will meet on matchday No 2 of the J League Cup, as the J League 1 takes a break from the action.
Both Osaka teams won on matchday No 1 of the J League Cup group stage. Gamba defeated Kyoto Sanga 3-1. Cerezo defeated FC Tokyo 1-0 thanks to a goal from Brazilian Capixaba.
The Osaka clubs won’t play in the J League until round No 11. Sunday’s J League Cup group stage fixture will give fans a taste of what is to come late this campaign.
Gamba Osaka and Cerezo Osaka played 26 times previously in the J League 1. Gamba lead the all-time head-to-head series with 13 wins, seven draws, and six defeats.
Cerezo are unbeaten in five straight Osaka Derby matches in all competitions. The teams met four times in 2022 in league and cup fixtures, and Cerezo won three matches and drew one time versus Gamba.
Gamba did not start the J League 1 season well, picking up just three points from the opening five matches. Cerezo did a little better with five points from the opening five games.
Spanish manager Daniel Poyatos joined Gamba ahead of the current season. The former Real Madrid academy coach managed Greece’s Panathinaikos briefly in 2020 before moving to Japan in 2021 to coach Tokushima Vortis for two seasons.
He faced off with Cerezo Osaka just one time, losing the match 1-0 in 2021. Poyatos will face off with Cerezo manager Akio Kogiku for the second time on Sunday.
Kogiku is an experienced Japanese manager and has faced off with Gamba eight times before. The Gamba manager has a brilliant 5W-1D-2L record versus Gamba in nine career meetings.
Gamba lead the historical series of fixtures over Cerezo, but they have struggled in recent campaigns. The Nerazzurri finished 15th in the J League 1 last season, narrowly avoiding relegation. This season, Gamba started the campaign poorly, with three points from five games.
Cerezo are playing slightly better in the league, with five points from five games. The Cherry Blossoms finished fifth in the J League 1 last season. They are playing well, and will be difficult for Gamba to defeat.