The J League returns to the fold with another round of matches this weekend as Yokohama F. Marinos take on Gamba Osaka on Saturday, 18 June. Both teams have impressive players in their ranks and will want to win the game.
Gamba Osaka, who are 13th in the J League standings, have not been at their best this season. The hosts edged FC Gifu to a 4-2 victory last week and will be confident ahead of the fixture.
Yokohama F. Marinos, on the other hand, are currently at the top of the league table and have been impressive so far. They eased past Suzuka Unlimited last week and will want to achieve a similar result against Gamba Osaka.
Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama F. Marinos Head-to-Head
Yokohama F. Marinos have a good record against Gamba Osaka, winning 16 out of the 39 matches played between the two teams. Gamba Osaka, meanwhile, have managed nine victories and can trouble their opponents on Saturday.
The previous meeting between the two teams took place last year and ended in a 2-0 victory for Gamba Osaka. Yokohama F. Marinos were poor on the day and will need to step up this time around.
Gamba Osaka form guide in the J1 League: L-L-W-W-D
Yokohama F. Marinos form guide in the J1 League: W-W-L-D-W
Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama F. Marinos Team News
Gamba Osaka
Takashi Usami, Masaaki Higashiguchi, and Shu Kurata are injured at the moment and have been ruled out of the match. Gamba Osaka will need to field their best team to stand a chance in this fixture.
Injured: Takashi Usami, Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shu Kurata
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Yokohama F. Marinos
Anderson Lopes is serving a six-game suspension at the moment and will not be included in the squad. Yusuke Nishida is carrying a knock and might not be able to feature on Saturday.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Yusuke Nishida
Suspended: Anderson Lopes
Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama F. Marinos Predicted XI
Gamba Osaka Predicted XI (3-5-2): Jun Ichimori; Kyung-won Kwon, Gen Shoji, Genta Miura; Keisuke Kurokawa, Hiroki Fujiharu, Dawhan, Wellington Silva, Ko Yanagisawa; Leandro Pereira, Hiroto Yamami
Yokohama F. Marinos Predicted XI(4-2-3-1): Yohei Takaoka; Ken Matsubara, Dudu, Shinnosuke Hatanaka, Ryuta Koike; Takuya Kida, Joel Chima Fujita; Takuma Nishimura, Marcos Júnior, Ryo Miyaichi; Kota Mizunuma
Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama F. Marinos Prediction
Yokohama F. Marinos have been excellent so far this season and will want to sustain their momentum in the coming weeks. They have a one-point lead at the top of the table and will need to be wary of an upset this weekend.
Gamba Osaka, meanwhile, can pack a punch on their day but have several problems to solve ahead of this fixture. Yokohama F. Marinos are the better team at the moment and should be able to win the game.
Prediction: Gamba Osaka 1-3 Yokohama F. Marinos