Cerezo Osaka vs Sanfrecce prediction, preview, team news and more

Cerezo Osaka and Hiroshima Sanfrecce trade tackles in a J1 League matchday 16 clash on Sunday (May 26). The hosts are coming off a 1-0 win at Ryukyu in the YBC Levain Cup.

Yuichi Hirano broke the deadlock for Cerezo in the sixth minute before they were reduced to 10 men following Justin Hubner's 17th-minute red card. Despite their numerical disadvantage, they held on to advance to the next round.

Cerezo now turn their focus back to the league, where their last game saw them claim a 3-0 win at Avispa Fukuoka.

Sanfrecce, meanwhile, advanced at the expense of Tokyo Verdy with a 3-2 away victory in the YBC Levain Cup. Yuki Ohashi scored a first-half brace, while Takumu Kawamura added a third in the 78th minute. Tomoya Miki scored a second-half brace for Verdy.

Michael Skibbe's side now turn their focus to the league, where their last game was a 5-0 away thrashing of Kyoto Sanga. The victory left them in ninth spot, having garnered 22 points from 14 games, while Cerezo are seventh with 23 points.

Cerezo Osaka vs Sanfrecce Head-to-Head

Sanfrecce have 46 wins from their last 103 head-to-head games with Cerezo, who have won 40 times. Their most recent clash in October saw the two sides play out a goalless stalemate.

Cerezo Osaka form guide (all competitions): W-W-L-L-L

Sanfrecce form guide (all competitions): W-W-L-L-D

Cerezo Osaka vs Sanfrecce Team News

Cerezo Osaka

Ryosuke Shindo and Kyohei Noborizato are sidelined with hamstring injuries, while Justin Hubner is suspended.

Injuries: Ryosuke Shindo, Kyohei Noborizato

Doubtful: None

Suspension: Justin Hubner

Sanfrecce

Taichi Yamasaki, Douglas Vieira and Ezequiel have been sidelined with injuries.

Injuries: Taichi Yamasaki, Douglas Vieira, Ezequiel

Doubtful: None

Suspension: None

Cerezo Osaka vs Sanfrecce Predicted XIs

Cerezo Osaka (4-3-3): Jin-Hyeon Kim (GK); Kakeru Funaki, Koji Toriumi, Ryuya Nishio, Hayato Okuda; Shunta Tanaka, Hiroaki Okuno, Masaya Shibayama; Hirotaka Tameda, Hiroto Yamada, Jordy Croux

Sanfrecce (3-4-2-1): Keisuke Osako (GK); Sho Sasaki, Hayato Araki, Shuto Nakano; Takaaki Shichi, Gakuto Notsuda, Takumu Kawamura, Naoto Arai; Taishi Matsumoto, Yuki Ohashi; Pieros Sotiriou

Cerezo Osaka vs Sanfrecce Prediction

Cerezo have won their last two games across competitions after going winless in six, losing four.

Meanwhile, six of Sanfrecce's last seven competitive games have produced at least three goals, with five games witnessing goals at both ends. Expect the two sides to cancel each other out in a low-scoring stalemate.

Prediction: Cerezo 1-1 Sanfrecce

About the author

Elvis is a seasoned football journalist and has been with Sportskeeda for more than 6 years. He specializes in writing match previews across several leagues and competitions around the world, and his insightful tips have amassed a total readership in excess of 9.2 million till date. Elvis' meticulous attention to detail and strictly following SK's editorial guidelines have been key to achieving a vast readership. He has also exclusively covered the 2021 Nigerian Universiy Games and has provided research for an upcoming biography for a Nigerian football legend.

Elvis has been a Super Eagles fan since 2004, and them beating defending champions Cameroon in the AFCON that year left a lasting impact on him. He supports Sporting Lagos at club level and loves to watch games live at the Onikan Stadium due to its buzzing atmosphere. His favorite football players are former Nigerian forward, Osaze Odemwingie and former Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez.

If Elvis could change one football rule, it would be to not be booked for celebrating with pitch side fans. He believes that football is a passionate game and celebrations should be encouraged to the fullest. When not analyzing the latest previews, Elvis indulges in activities such as swimming, reading, and karaoke.

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Edited by Bhargav