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Separated by just two points in the J1 League table, Shimizu S-Pulse and Gamba Osaka lock horns at the IAI Stadium Nihondaira on Friday.
The hosts head into the game off the back of a 2-2 draw against Yokohama F. Marinos, while the visitors were beaten 2-1 by Tokushima Vortis.
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Shimizu S-Pulse’s rough patch in the J1 League continued on Monday as they played out a 2-2 draw with Yokohama F. Marinos.
Goals from Marcos Junior and Elber helped Yokohama cancel out Eiichi Katayama’s opener and turn the game around. However, Shimizu forward Kenta Nishizawa scored his first goal of the season to force a share of the spoils.
The S-Pa have now failed to taste victory in their last three outings, picking up two draws and losing once.
The dry spell has seen them drop into the bottom half of the J1 League standings. They currently occupy 14th place on the log, one place and two points behind Friday’s visitors.
Meanwhile, Gamba Osaka were condemned to a second straight defeat last time out as they were beaten 2-1 by Tokushima Vortis.
Tokushima Vortis raced to a two-goal lead through Taisei Miyashiro and Kazuki Nishiya before Tiago Alves pulled one back for Gamba Osaka in the 91st minute.
This followed last Friday’s narrow 3-2 defeat at the hands of Yokohama F. Marinos, which ended their three-game winning streak.
This has been down to their struggles on home turf. Shimizu S-Pulse and Gamba Osaka currently hold the joint-second worst record on home turf, picking up 11 points from 11 home games so far.
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Gamba Osaka Head-To-Head
Gamba Osaka have been the superior side in the history of this fixture, claiming 17 wins from their 33 encounters. Shimizu S-Pulse have picked up nine wins, while seven games have ended in draws.
Shimizu S-Pulse Form Guide: D-W-D-L-D
Gamba Osaka Form Guide: W-W-W-L-L
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Gamba Osaka Team News
Shimizu S-Pulse
Carlinhos Junior, Renato Augusto, Yoshinori Suzuki and Keita Nakamura are all on the club’s injury list and will miss the game.
Injured: Carlinhos Junior, Renato Augusto, Yoshinori Suzuki, Keita Nakamura
Suspended: None
Gamba Osaka
The visitors will be without Haruto Shirai (cruciate ligament), Jun Ichimori (hamstring), Ryu Takao (ankle) and Won-ho Shin (collarbone) due to injuries.
Injured: Jun Ichimori, Won-ho Shin, Haruto Shirai, Ryu Takao
Suspended: None
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Gamba Osaka Predicted XI
Shimizu S-Pulse Predicted XI (4-4-2): Shuichi Gonda; Teruki Hara, Valdo, Yugo Tatsuta, Eiichi Katayama; Katsuhiro Nakayama, Ryo Takeuchi, Kota Miyamoto; Akira Silvano Disaro; Yuito Suzuki, Thiago Santana
Gamba Osaka Predicted XI (3-4-3): Masaaki Higashiguchi; Young-Gwon Kim, Shunya Suganuma, Genta Mura; Keisuke Kurokawa, Yuki Yamamoto, Kohei Okuno, Kosuke Onose; Takashi Usami, Shinya Yajima, Leandro Pereira
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Gamba Osaka Prediction
While both sides have struggled for results on home turf, Gamba Osaka have enjoyed a decent run away from home. We expect a fierce contest between the two sides as they look to rise into the top half of the table.
However, we predict the spoils will be shared as they are evenly matched on paper.
Prediction: Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 Gamba Osaka
