In their last J1 League match, Gonza Sapporo won 4-0 against Gamba Osaka. They had 50% of the possession in that game and had 23 shots on goal, 8 of which were on target. The goalscorers were Supachok Sarachat (13', 59'), Kim Kian Hee (89') and Asano Koya (92'). Opponents Gamba Osaka, on the other hand, had six chances on goal, one of which was on target.
However, in recent matches, Sapporo Gonzaga's defense has been inconsistent. They have been unable to prevent their opponents from scoring in five of their last six matches, conceding a total of 10 goals.
The team is looking for a better result in this match after they were defeated in their last J1 League match against Kashiwa Reysol. In that match, the Yokohama Mariners had 68% of the possession and had 8 chances on goal, 3 of which were on target. On the other hand, Kashiwa Esashi had 15 shots, 5 of which were on target, with goals scored by Yuki Yamada (52') and Matheus Sávio (83'). Yokohama Mariners have scored five goals in their last six matches, averaging 0.83 goals per game.
In their all-time head-to-head record since October 16, 2021, the two teams are fairly evenly matched, with Gonza Sapporo winning 2 games, Yokohama Mariners winning 2, and 2 ties in regulation time. In those matches they have scored a total of 15 goals, 8 by Sapporo Gonza and 7 by Yokohama Mariners, for an average of 2.5 goals per game.Their most recent league matchup was on May 24, 2023 in the 5th round of the J.League Cup, which resulted in a 3-2 Sapporo Gonza vs. Yokohama Mariners matchup.
In terms of team news for the tournament, Sapporo Gonzaga head coach Mihailo Petrović has only one player, Takanori Sugeno (calf muscle strain), out of action. Yokohama Mariners coach Kevin Muscat, on the other hand, has several players unavailable due to injury, including Ryuta Koike (fractured patella), Yuta Koike (torn ACL) and Shinnosuke Hatanaka (ACL injury).
Predicting this match, we think that Sapporo Gonzaga should have enough chances to break down the Yokohama Mariners' defense, but may only be able to score one goal, which may not prevent them from conceding a goal on the defensive end of the field. We predict that both teams will likely score in this match, and the match will end with a 2-1 win for the Yokohama Mariners.
