Review: Cerezo Osaka 4-1 Yokohama FC (Levain Cup Playoff Round 1st Leg)

The Playoff Round first leg saw Cerezo secure a comfortable win, with Shinji Kagawa’s opener leading to a total of four second-half goals, moving them closer to the Prime Round.

Two days after their Meiji Yasuda J1 League Matchweek 19 fixture against Shimizu S-Pulse, Cerezo Osaka faced Yokohama FC in the first leg of the J.League YBC Levain Cup Playoff Round. Compared to the Shimizu match, Cerezo made ten changes to their starting lineup, with only Thiago Andrade retaining his place. Takumi Nakamura, who joined Cerezo on a permanent deal from Yokohama FC this season, also started. On the bench was Wigi Kanemoto, currently enrolled at Hannan University and set to join Cerezo.



Cerezo Osaka lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Yokohama FC deployed a 3-4-2-1 system, creating a tactical mismatch between the two sides. In the 4th minute, Yokohama FC launched an attack down their left flank, putting pressure on Cerezo’s defense. Cerezo responded quickly; in the 6th minute, Vítor Bueno, positioned on the right wing, delivered a sharp cross. Both teams focused their attacks from the wings, attempting to break through the opposition’s defense. In the 16th minute, Cerezo had a clear chance. Takumi Nakamura’s cross was initially bypassed by Masaya Shibayama and Kengo Furuyama, allowing Thiago Andrade on the left side to take a shot, but the effort was blocked by goalkeeper Phelipe Megiolaro. Three minutes later, in the 19th minute, another good opportunity arose for Cerezo. Nakamura penetrated deep on the right side and crossed the ball to Bueno, who attempted a shot, but it flew directly into the goalkeeper’s hands. In the 28th minute, Cerezo had a big chance again. Shinji Kagawa, surrounded by three defenders, managed to deliver a pass to Bueno, who then crossed to Furuyama. Furuyama headed the ball, but his shot missed the target, denying Cerezo the opening goal. While Cerezo created several chances, Yokohama FC also threatened the goal repeatedly. Thanks to some excellent saves by goalkeeper Kim Jin Hyeon, Cerezo managed to keep a clean sheet. Then, in the 40th minute, the biggest chance of the first half came for Cerezo. Furuyama took a pass from Nakamura, dribbled past the defense, and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one. However, the angle was tight, and his shot narrowly missed the goal. Furuyama’s frustration was evident as he was denied his first home goal. Immediately after, Yokohama FC had a chance of their own, but their shot just missed the target. Despite both teams creating chances, the first half ended goalless at 0-0.





At halftime, manager Arthur Papas expressed his dissatisfaction with the first half, saying, “We didn’t talk about tactics at all. I only told them to focus on intensity and to give their best effort.” Motivated by Papas’ "emotional" (as described by Kagawa) encouragement, Cerezo Osaka players stepped up their game in the second half. They pressed higher up the pitch and showed increased determination to score. In the 55th minute, Cerezo took the lead. After intercepting a long clearance from the opposing goalkeeper, Nakamura launched a quick counterattack. The ball was passed through Bueno and Shibayama before Shinji Kagawa, making a run from deep, finished with an outside right-footed shot. The technical strike from the No. 8 ignited the crowd at Yodoko Sakura Stadium. Sensing the momentum shift, Papas made two substitutions in the 61st minute to push for more aggression, bringing on Lucas Fernandes and Rafael Ratao for Thiago Andrade and Kengo Furuyama. The changes paid off: in the 68th minute, Lucas and Ratao combined with a quick one-two to penetrate the box, where Lucas earned a free kick. Bueno stepped up and scored directly from the set piece, extending Cerezo’s lead with a brilliant kick he described as one of his strengths. Cerezo added another goal in stoppage time of the second half, with Ratao scoring. Although Yokohama FC pulled one back in the 90+6 minute from a corner, Motohiko Nakajima headed in a cross from Lucas just before the final whistle to restore a three-goal advantage. With this commanding win on enemy turf, Cerezo Osaka gained a significant advantage heading into the crucial second leg for a spot in the Prime Round.





However, there was no smile on the manager’s face after the match. “The most important thing, simply put, is to never forget aggressiveness. I still see this as halftime. We must reset our mindset firmly, and the key will be how much we can perform in the second leg,” he said, tightening his resolve despite the victory. Kagawa, who led the team from the front and scored the opening goal, expressed a similar sentiment: “I expect another tough away match next. We want to correct the issues from today’s first half and build on that,” he said with a focused expression, sharing his determination for the second leg. While it is certain that they have made significant progress toward advancing past the Playoff Round, nothing has yet been decided. The team aims to face the second leg on enemy ground without letting their guard down.