Review: Cerezo Osaka 2-0 Avispa Fukuoka (J1 MD18)

Masaya Shibayama scored his first home goal to give the lead, Rafael Ratao added another as Cerezo Osaka defeated Fukuoka. Goalkeeper Koki Fukui’s impressive saves also shone.

Two days after the third leg of the J.League YBC Levain Cup first round against Kyoto Sanga F.C., Cerezo Osaka welcomed Avispa Fukuoka at home for the 18th round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. Only one change was made to the starting lineup from the previous match against Kawasaki Frontale: Sota Kitano replaced Satoki Uejo, making his first league start in five matches. Masaya Shibayama and Ryuya Nishio continued as starters from the Kyoto match. The team changed nine players in total and started with a 3-4-2-1 formation.



Although Cerezo Osaka were pressed early by Fukuoka, they soon gained control of the ball and pushed forward into the opponent’s territory. The first chance came in the 16th minute. Hayato Okuda broke past a defender and drove forward vertically, crossing the ball to the far post where Rafael Ratao met with a header, but the shot narrowly missed the target. At the 25th minute, another good opportunity arose for Cerezo. Masaya Shibayama won the ball high up after the opponent’s clearance, passed through Sota Kitano, and finally Okuda, who had entered the penalty area, took a left-footed shot that was saved by Fukuoka’s goalkeeper Masaaki Murakami. Then, at the 26th and 30th minutes, Cerezo faced counterattacks due to passing errors and were in danger, but Shinnosuke Hatanaka covered the first, and goalkeeper Koki Fukui made a great save to prevent any goals from the second. From there, Cerezo launched a fierce attack toward the end of the first half. In the 36th minute, Lucas Fernandes passed to Ratao, who broke behind the defense for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but could not get past the keeper and failed to take a shot. One minute later, Shinji Kagawa received a pass after Lucas’ breakthrough, presenting an excellent chance, but his shot just went over the crossbar, and Kagawa loudly expressed his frustration. Then, in the 39th minute, the biggest chance of the first half arrived. From Okuda’s pass, Shibayama took the ball directly in the right-side pocket and laid it off to the onrushing Kitano, who was blocked by a defender and couldn’t shoot. The rebound was taken by Lucas, whose decisive shot was saved with one hand by goalkeeper Murakami, denying the opener. Despite pressing throughout the first half, Cerezo were unable to score, and the half ended goalless.





From the start of the second half, manager Arthur Papas made a substitution, bringing in Reiya Sakata for Ryuya Nishio. The system was also changed to a back-four formation, switching to a 4-2-3-1. After the match, the manager explained the reason: “The opponent had the same formation, creating one-on-one situations all over the pitch. We couldn’t find a way to break through those, so we changed the shape and clarified how to advance including in build-up play. We also thought about how to make better use of the sides, which we couldn’t fully exploit in the first half.” Sakata embodied that intention. Right after the second half started, he aggressively challenged the opponent, earning a corner kick. In the 51st minute, he persisted on the right side and connected to a chance for Lucas. In the 53rd minute, Lucas received the ball in a good position and cut inside from the left side to shoot, with both wings playing lively. They pushed Fukuoka back. However, unable to score in this period, the match became a back-and-forth battle. Just before the 70th minute, both managers made two substitutions each, trying to make a decisive move. Fukuoka grabbed the first big chance at the 72nd minute. Cerezo Osaka conceded a dangerous counterattack, but goalkeeper Koki Fukui made a big save against Kazuya Konno’s left-footed shot. As Fukui later reflected, “It was good that I didn’t react too early and was able to respond calmly.” He stood his ground and carefully read the opponent’s motion until the last moment, successfully blocking the shot and maintaining control without letting the momentum slip away. At the 79th minute, Fukuoka’s direct free kick hit the crossbar, creating tense moments, but Cerezo held firm. Then, at the 84th minute, they succeeded in taking the lead. Spotting a mismatch in Fukuoka’s build-up deep in their own half, Motohiko Nakajima intercepted and delivered a gentle direct pass to Masaya Shibayama upfront. Shibayama controlled the ball perfectly and placed a shot with his left foot across to the far post, sending the ball into the net. Yodoko Sakura Stadium erupted for Shibayama’s first home goal in his third season with the club. Reflecting on the moment, the number 48 said, “Seeing everyone’s happy faces made me extremely glad. It’s something you can’t replace with anything else (laughs).” It was a strike long-awaited by teammates and supporters alike.







Although Cerezo Osaka quickly moved closer to victory given the timing, in the 90th minute Wellington, who came on as a substitute for Fukuoka, scored a header from a cross on the side. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled offside. The goal was not allowed, and Cerezo breathed a sigh of relief. Then, in the 90+8th minute, Sakata broke down the side on a counterattack and crossed the ball back, which Ratao finished, sealing the match with an additional goal. The final whistle blew immediately afterward. “It was a difficult match,” said manager Arthur Papas, but not only the starters but also the substitutes showed their impact to decide the game, truly claiming all three points as a united team. After a three-game winning streak was stopped in the previous league match, the team followed up with consecutive multi-goal wins in both the cup and league matches. Team morale is now high. The next game comes after three days, an away match against Urawa Reds. Facing another busy schedule, they want to work together again as a team like this match and snatch a victory that pushes them even higher up the table.