On July 24 at 18:15, a club friendly match will see Cerezo Osaka host UEFA Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund at the Nagai Stadium.
In their J.League match last weekend, Cerezo Osaka lost 1-2 at home to Albirex Niigata. The team showed significant defensive vulnerabilities from set-pieces, with attackers like Kazuki Hasegawa, Kishiki Nagatsuka, and Yuzi Ono, who are not known for their aerial prowess, getting several easy headers. Cerezo Osaka manager Akio Kogure commented on this defeat that ended their nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions: “This was a club 30th anniversary match, but the result is very disappointing. We didn’t learn from our previous match against Kawasaki Frontale, and often we failed to press effectively up front.”
Cerezo Osaka currently sit 6th in the J.League table with a record of 9 wins, 10 draws, and 5 losses, trailing the title contenders by two games. In their 12 home matches this season, they have won six, drawn four, and lost two, ranking third in the league for home form behind Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka.
For this match, Cerezo Osaka will be without the services of starting center-back Ryoya Nishio, who has joined the national Olympic team in Paris. With Indonesian defender Habibie Haruna having left the club prematurely, Koki Torikai and Sho Aoi are likely to partner in central defense. Additionally, new signing Ryo Tsuchida is available for selection, while winger Kroske has departed the club. Currently, Cerezo Osaka’s foreign attacking options are limited to Kapisaba, Ceala, Fernandes, and Bueno.
Borussia Dortmund finished the last Bundesliga season with 18 wins, 9 draws, and 7 losses, securing qualification for the 24/25 UEFA Champions League. In the 23/24 UEFA Champions League, they reached the final as underdogs before losing 0-2 to Real Madrid, finishing as runners-up. Despite competing on multiple fronts, this was an impressive achievement. However, during the off-season, there were unexpected changes within the club, with head coach Edin Terzic unexpectedly leaving his post. His assistant, Nuri Sahin, took over as head coach, marking his second managerial role after Antalyaspor in Turkey.
In terms of squad availability, key players including goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, defender Nico Schlotterbeck, midfielder Sabitzer, and attackers Donyell Malen and Niclas Fullkrug, along with new signings Anton and Girassi, did not travel to Asia for the commercial matches. However, attacker Gio Reyna is expected to return for this match, joining the team in Asia after the Copa America. In their match against Thai side BG Pathum United on July 21, Dortmund fielded a semi-strong lineup but suffered a 0-4 loss, which was an underwhelming performance.
The teams have never faced each other before, but Cerezo Osaka captain Shinji Kagawa could recover from injury and start against his former club. After a disappointing result in Thailand, Dortmund may field their strongest lineup possible. Will they secure a win against Cerezo Osaka and impress Japanese fans?
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