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Gamba Osaka will host Yokohama FC at the Panasonic Stadium Suita on Sunday, with three points on the line in the J1 League.
The home side come into this game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Tokushima Vortis. Takashi Usami and Patric scored either side of a Ken Iwao penalty to give Osaka the victory.
Yokohama FC played out a 1-1 draw with Avispa Fukuoka on home turf. Bruno Mendes and Kleber Pinheiro scored in each half to ensure the sides shared the spoils, while Juan Delgado missed a penalty.
This relegation six-pointer will pit two sides battling to avoid the drop. The visitors currently occupy the bottom spot in the table, having accrued just seven points from 16 matches. Gamba Osaka are three points and two places better off in 18th place.
Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama FC Head-to-Head
Gamba Osaka are yet to lose a game against Yokohama FC. The Nerazzurri have three wins and three draws in six previous matches played.
Their most recent meeting came in December 2020 when goals from Shu Kurata and Patric gave Osaka a 2-0 away win.
Neither of these two sides have impressed this season and this is reflected in their poor respective positions in the league.
Gamba Osaka's victory on Wednesday halted a run of seven games without a win. Yokohama FC also have one win from their last seven games.
Gamba Osaka form guide: W-L-L-L-L
Yokohama FC form guide (all competitions): D-L-L-W-D
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Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama FC Team News
Gamba Osaka
The hosts have three players sidelined by injuries. Jun Ichimori, Yuchi Ono and Haruto Shirai are all unavailable for selection.
There are no suspension concerns for coach Tsuneyasu Miyamoto.
Injuries: Jun Ichimori, Yuchi Ono, Haruto Shirai
Suspension: None
Yokohama FC
Masakazu Tashiro will undergo a late scan to determine his availability. Kosuke Saito and Haruki Saruta have both been ruled out of the trip to Osaka.
Injuries: Kosuke Saito, Haruki Saruta
Doubtful: Masakazu Tashiro
Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama FC Predicted XI
Gamba Osaka Predicted XI (4-4-2): Masaaki Higashiguchi (GK); Young-Gwon Kim, Gen Shoji, Genta Miura, Kosuke Onose; Dai Tsukamoto, Shinya Yajima, Yosuke Ideguchi, Shu Kurata; Takashi Usami, Patric
Yokohama FC Predicted XI (4-4-2): Akinori Ichikawa (GK); Daiki Nakashio, Hi-Gang Han, Hideto Takahashi, Yota Maejima; Yuya Takagi, Kohei Tezuka, Tatsuki Seko, Maguinho; Kleber Pinheiro, Takuya Matsuura
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Gamba Osaka vs Yokohama FC Prediction
Gamba Osaka have an extremely compact style of play, which is why they have one of the best defenses in the league. This tightness at the back, coupled with both sides' goal-shy attacks, means that this could be a low-scoring affair.
Despite their struggles this term, the hosts are one of the most accomplished sides in the division and have an advantage in this fixture. We are predicting a narrow victory for the hosts in addition to a shutout.
Prediction: Gamba Osaka 1-0 Yokohama FC
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