On August 21st at 6 PM, the Emperor’s Cup Round of 16 match kicks off with Gamba Osaka hosting Shonan Bellmare. Gamba Osaka is clearly stronger than their opponent, but Shonan Bellmare reached the quarterfinals of the Emperor’s Cup last season and has been in good form recently, making them a formidable challenge.
Gamba Osaka has secured 13 wins, 8 draws, and 6 losses in the league this season, scoring 30 goals and conceding 20, accumulating 47 points to rank fourth in the league table. Their home record stands at 8 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses, scoring 19 goals and conceding 11, making them the second-best team at home in the league. However, since mid-July, Gamba has fallen into a slump, managing only 3 draws and 1 loss in their last four official matches, and drawing all three of their recent league games.
In their past ten home matches, Gamba won seven, but their last two home games have also seen them struggle, earning only 1 draw and 1 loss against Shonan Bellmare and FC Tokyo. Three days after this match against Shonan Bellmare, the team will face Fukuoka Horyu in the league, and head coach Levir Culpi indicated that there would be some rotation in the starting lineup.
Shonan Bellmare’s record this season is 7 wins, 8 draws, and 12 losses, scoring 37 goals and conceding 41, accumulating 29 points to place 17th. Their away record is 4 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses, scoring 19 goals and conceding 23, ranking 12th for away performance in the league, which means they perform better away from home than at home. Shonan Bellmare was unbeaten in six consecutive matches before narrowly losing 1-2 to Kashiwa Reysol in their most recent game, slipping to 17th place.
Although Shonan Bellmare faces considerable pressure in the league, they aim to reach the Emperor’s Cup quarterfinals again, “We will use the strength of the entire team to defeat Gamba Osaka.” In their last five away matches, they remained unbeaten, winning all three of their recent away games, including victories over strong opponents like Gamba Osaka and Machida Zelvia.
This season, both teams have faced each other twice in the league, each securing one win. The most recent meeting was on July 20th, when Gamba lost 0-1 at home to Shonan Bellmare.
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