In their upcoming Nippon Steelers Cup match, Gamba Osaka will be looking to get back to winning ways after their last 4-0 loss to Gonzaga Sapporo. More specifically, Gamba Osaka dominated 50% of the possession in that match with six shots, one of which was on target. On the other hand, the opposing team, Gonzaga Sapporo, had 23 chances on goal, 8 of which were on target. supachok Sarachat (13', 59'), Kim Konhee (89'), and Asano Koya (92') scored the goals for Gonzaga Sapporo.
Recent Gamba Osaka games have tended to be very intriguing, with goals scored by both teams being a notable feature. In the last six games alone, the two teams have scored 23 goals (an average of 3.83 goals per game), with 11 of those coming from Gamba Osaka.
And in their last game, the team played a 1-1 draw against the Niigata Swans in the J1 League. In that game, Urawa Red Diamonds dominated 37% of the possession and had 8 shots on goal, 2 of which were on target. Urawa Red Diamonds' goal was scored by Alexander Scholz (38'). On the other hand, Niigata Swans had 9 chances on goal, of which 2 were on target. The goal was scored by Yota Komi (81').
In the first five games involving the Urawa Red Diamonds, they and their opponents had relatively low goal differentials. During that time, the average goals per game was just 1.5, while the Red Diamonds averaged 0.67. Of course, that pattern doesn't necessarily carry over to this game.
For the teams' head-to-head record since November 22, 2020, Gamba Osaka has won 2 games, Urawa Red Diamonds has won 2 games, and 2 other games have been tied in regular time. They have scored a total of 15 goals in those games, with Gamba Osaka scoring 6 and Urawa Red Diamonds scoring 9. This is an average of 2.5 goals per game.
The most recent league match between these two teams was in the 13th round of the J1 League on May 14, 2023, which resulted in a 3-1 Gamba Osaka win for Urawa Red Diamonds. In that match, Urawa Red Diamonds had 64% of the possession and had 16 shots, 6 of which were on target. The goals were scored by Alexander Scholz (45'), Junshi Okubo (54') and Kaidou Yasui (59'). Gamba Osaka had 17 chances on goal, five of which were on target. The goal was scored by Issam Jebali (23').
In terms of team news for the tournament, Gamba Osaka head coach Daniel Poyatos won't be able to field a fully-fit squad due to the absence of Riku Handa (fractured fibula) and Genta Miura (broken foot). Urawa Red Diamonds head coach Maciej Skorża, on the other hand, is fortunate to have a completely injury-free squad.
To predict this match, we think that both Urawa Red Diamonds and Gamba Osaka are likely to score goals and may end up in a draw. It is for our prediction that this match will end with a 1-1 scoreline.
