Gamba Osaka will be looking to end a run of consecutive defeats when they welcome FC Tokyo to the Panasonic Stadium Suita in round 25 of the 2024 J1 League campaign on Wednesday.
The home side head into this one with the opportunity to complete a league double over their visitors, having recorded a 1-0 triumph in the reverse fixture back in May.
Match preview
Gamba Osaka were dealt a blow in their title pursuit last time out in a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of in-form Shonan Bellmare on July 20.
Taiga Hata grabbed the decisive goal seven minutes from the end of normal time to snap a three-game winning run for Dani Poyatos's men and condemn them to a first defeat since June 30.
A 1-0 friendly loss to Real Sociedad in their subsequent outing did little to raise the Nerazzurri's spirits, but they must now put themselves together to avoid falling further behind in the title race.
Albeit level on points with Kashima Antlers in third, Gamba Osaka are second in the J1 League table, five points behind leaders Machida Zelvia heading into the final 14 games of the season.
With just 18 goals conceded and 10 clean sheets recorded, Wednesday's visitors have been rock-solid at the back to boast the division's meanest defence this term.
However, their output at the other end - just 28 goals scored in 24 matches - has often left a lot to be desired and must be improved upon if they are to end a 10-year wait for domestic supremacy.
FC Tokyo came away empty-handed from their meeting against Kashima Antlers on July 20, which ended in a 2-1 defeat at the Kashima Soccer Stadium.
Peter Cklamovski's men went into the interval on a high having cancelled out Shintaro Nago's opener through Keita Endo's strike before Kimito Nono struck the winner two minutes into the second period.
That was a fourth loss in five matches across all competitions - including a cup exit at the hands of lower league side Chiba - for FC Tokyo, who had come out on top in three of the four matches prior.
As a result of their recent dry patch, the team from the capital have now dropped down to seventh place in the league standings and are closer to the relegation zone than they are to top spot.
A chance to turn things around now lies in store for Wednesday's visitors at an opposing ground where they have emerged victorious on just one of their last 16 trips dating back to 2009.
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Team News
Gamba Osaka's Jiro Nakamura made his comeback last time out from a lengthy period of absence, and the 20-year-old is expected to be involved in this one.
Kei Ishikawa was handed a rare start in the friendly against Real Sociedad, but Jun Ichimori is expected to reclaim his place between the sticks for the home side.
Midfielder Keita Endo has found the back of the net in two of his three starts since returning to action for FC Tokyo, making him one to keep an eye on.
Taishi Nozawa is not available for the away side here due to his involvement with Japan at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris.
Gamba Osaka possible starting lineup:
Ichimori; Matsuda, Nakatani, Fukuoka, Kurokawa; Dawhan, Suzuki; Welton, Alano, Kurata; Usami
FC Tokyo possible starting lineup:
Hatano; Tokumoto, Oka, Kimoto, Shirai; Koizumi, Ko, Nakagawa; Endo, Oliveira, Anzai
We say: Gamba Osaka 1-0 FC Tokyo
Gamba Osaka have developed a knack for playing out drab matches, and another cagey affair is on the cards here.
While we expect FC Tokyo to put up a good fight, we can also see the hosts just about doing enough to come away with maximum points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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