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Machida Zelvia will face Cerezo Osaka at the Machida Stadium on Sunday in the second leg of their 2024 J League Cup playoff-round tie. The home side have enjoyed a remarkable run of results in their debut campaign in the Japanese top flight this season and will be looking to carry that momentum onto the domestic cup this weekend.
They already have a foot in the next round of the tournament after picking up a 3-1 win in their first-leg clash on Wednesday. Jordy Croux opened the scoring for Sakura in the opening 10 minutes of the game before the newly promoted outfit upped the ante in the second half with three different players getting on the scoresheet to secure the win for Zelvia.
Cerezo Osaka, meanwhile, have struggled for results of late and are on the verge of exiting the J League Cup. The visitors are one-time winners of the domestic cup and have finished runner-ups on another two occasions but have a mountain to climb this weekend in their quest to reach similar heights.
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Machida Zelvia vs Cerezo Osaka Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Sunday's game will mark the fifth meeting between Zelvia and Cerezo. The hosts have won three of their previous matchups while the visitors have won the other.
- The hosts have won each of their last three games in this fixture, a run dating back to 2016.
- The visitors are without a clean sheet in their last three games across all competitions and have managed just two in their last 11.
- Zelvia have scored 28 goals in the Japanese top flight this season. Only second-placed Kashima Antlers (30) have scored more.
Machida Zelvia vs Cerezo Osaka Prediction
Zelvia have won five of their last six games across all competitions. They have won all but one of their last five home matches and will be looking forward to the weekend clash.
Cerezo Osaka are on a three-game winless streak and have won just two of their last 11 games across all competitions. They have failed to perform in this fixture of late and could see defeat here.
Prediction: Machida Zelvia 2-1 Cerezo Osaka
Machida Zelvia vs Cerezo Osaka Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Machida Zelvia to win
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Five of the hosts' last six matches have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in five of the visitors' last seven matches)
