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Gamba Osaka host second-division side Oita Trinita at the Suita City Stadium in their upcoming J League Cup fixture on Wednesday.
With the group stage in the cup competition reaching the halfway point, the hosts are in last place in Group A, with just one point in three games. Oita Trinita experienced their first defeat of the competition as they suffered a 6-1 thumping at the hands of Cerezo Osaka last time around.
Both sides need to win at least two of their remaining three group stage fixtures to keep their knockout stage hopes alive. The hosts have played back-to-back losses in their last two J1 League fixtures while the visiting side secured a 1-0 win over Tokushima Vortis on Sunday.
Gamba Osaka vs Oita Trinita Head-to-Head
The two clubs have squared off 23 times across all competitions and this will be just the third meeting in the J League Cup between them.
Nerazzurri enjoy a healthy 14-6 lead in wins while just three games have ended in draws. The two meetings in the cup competitions have ended in draws, including the 2-2 draw played out at the Showa Denko Dome Ōita in March.
Gamba Osaka form guide (all competitions): D-D-W-L-L
Oita Trinita form guide (all competitions): W-L-W-L-W
Gamba Osaka vs Oita Trinita Team News
Gamba Osaka
Masaaki Higashiguchi and Takashi Usami remain the two absentees for the home side with ACL and knee injuries respectively.
Injury: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Takashi Usami
Doubtful: None
Suspension: None
Oita Trinita
Ryosuke Tone suffered a ligament injury just before the 2022 campaign kicked off and is a long-term absentee. There are no other reported or suspension concerns for Azzurro.
Injuries: Ryosuke Tone
Doubtful: None
Suspension: None
Gamba Osaka vs Oita Trinita Predicted XI
Gamba Osaka Predicted XI (3-4-3): Kei Ishikawa (GK); Genta Miura, Gen Shoji, Ryu Takao; Keisuke Kurokawa, Dawhan, Mitsuki Saito, Kosuke Onose; Patric, Hideki Ishige, Leandro Pereira
Oita Trinita Predicted XI (3-5-2): Shun Takagi (GK); Yuto Misao, Matheus, Keisuke Saka; Rei Matsumoto, Hokuto Shimoda, Arata Watanabe, Seigo Kobayashi, Kenta Inoue; Shun Nagasawa, Hiroto Goya
$1,100 First Bet Insurance at Caesars
Gamba Osaka vs Oita Trinita Prediction
Both sides have struggled to get their cup campaigns underway. The visitors and hosts have the worst and second-worst defensive record in the competition, having conceded 11 and nine goals in three games.
Taking the current form of both sides into consideration, it is very likely that the game will end in a low-scoring draw.
Prediction: Gamba Osaka 1-1 Oita Trinita
