Review: Cerezo Osaka vs Fagiano Okayama (J1 MD1)

The 2026/27 season begins, marking the start of a new chapter in history. Under new manager Pablo Machin, Cerezo Osaka open the season with a superb comeback victory.

The J.League began a new chapter in its history with the transition to a new season calendar. In the opening match of the 2026/27 Meiji Yasuda J1 League, Cerezo Osaka welcomed Fagiano Okayama to their home ground, YANMAR HANASAKA STADIUM. Tickets had sold out that morning, creating a fantastic atmosphere filled with the passion of both sets of supporters. The starting XI for the historic season opener was the same 11 players who started against Borussia Dortmund on July 29. Kosei Okazawa and Yumeki Yokoyama made their first J1 appearances.



Cerezo created an early chance in the first minute. Starting with Yokoyama's dribble, the ball moved through Solomon Sakuragawa and Takumi Nakamura before Kagawa Shinji met Nakamura's direct pass in the middle. Cerezo had worked the ball through beautifully, but the final shot was saved by the goalkeeper (It was also offside). After an evenly contested start, Okayama began to put Cerezo under some pressure, and in the 8th minute, the visitors took the lead following a free-kick. Cerezo failed to clear the second ball, allowing Okayama to deliver a cross, and Noah Kenshin Browne finished emphatically in front of goal. "It was a situation we had been wary of. If you look at the second ball, the way we cleared it and the details, it was a goal we could have prevented," Kagawa reflected after the match. It was an avoidable goal, but the Cerezo players showed no signs of being shaken, continuing to move the ball and push into the opposition half. Cerezo created a clear chance in the 16th minute. Shunta Tanaka picked up the ball in midfield and moved forward with a one-two with Sakuragawa. He then played the ball out to Yokoyama on the left, before Niko Takahashi made an overlapping run beyond him and sent in a cross. Tanaka threw himself at the ball, but his header was kept out by a superb save from the goalkeeper. The play lifted the atmosphere inside the stadium, and four minutes later Cerezo drew level. Okazawa received the ball beside Cerezo's three centre-backs and spotted Sakuragawa's run in behind, threading a pass through to him. Sakuragawa went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and calmly finished. The No. 9 scored the team's first goal of the season, following his goal against Dortmund. "It's a move we've been working on in training. I'm glad I was able to finish it just as we practiced," he said with confidence. Okazawa, who provided the excellent assist, also explained the move: "It's something we had been working on as a team. When I dropped slightly to receive the ball, I was looking for the moment Solo made his run in behind." Four minutes later, Cerezo completed the turnaround. Goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura's long kick was brought under control by Sakuragawa up front while holding off the Okayama defender. Kagawa followed closely and immediately played the ball out to the left. Yokoyama received it, carried the ball forward with a dribble and cut inside before shooting with his right foot. He found the narrow gap at the near post and finished brilliantly. The No. 14 produced a goal worthy of being called a golazo, carrying over the momentum he had built toward the end of the Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League. This season, Yokoyama has been playing as an inside shadow rather than staying wide, and he feels the new role suits him perfectly: "The goal I scored today was also made possible by playing as a shadow, which allowed me to receive the ball inside. I think it was a goal I was able to score because I was playing in that position." Okayama threatened Cerezo's goal again from a set piece just before half-time, but a superb clearance from Rikito Inoue helped Cerezo take a 2-1 lead into the break.





Cerezo came under pressure from Okayama from the start of the second half. The visitors repeatedly found space down Cerezo's left side, but Cerezo dealt with the danger by firmly clearing the ball inside, while Okayama's shots also failed to find the target. At half-time, manager Pablo Machin had told his players, "Rather than dropping back, let's continue playing the same way we did in the first half." Looking to push back against Okayama, he made two substitutions as early as the 58th minute, bringing on Lucas Fernandes and Satoki Uejo. The introduction of fresh legs suggested an intention to create a foothold further forward and turn that into attacking opportunities. The overall flow of the match did not change significantly, however, with Okayama continuing to enjoy possession. Cerezo, led by Shinnosuke Hatanaka, maintained their defensive line well and showed no signs of opening up. After the match, Okayama manager Takayuki Kiyama reflected, "In the second half, with the opposition having tightened up defensively, we had periods when we were able to attack and keep possession, but we struggled to make the next move or the one after it." As Kiyama's comments suggest, Okayama were unable to create a clear chance in the second half, and Cerezo saw the game through. In stoppage time, Lucas, Uejo and Thiago Andrade, who had come on as substitutes, managed the remaining time well before the final whistle. Cerezo could not add to their lead, but they defended their advantage firmly to secure a victory in manager Pablo Machin's first match in charge.





After the match, Masaya Shibayama, who had suffered an injury during the Miyazaki training camp, joined the players in the celebrations for a commemorative photo. Huge chants repeatedly rang out from behind the goal. For the match, all the players wore No. 48 T-shirts as they entered the pitch, while the supporters displayed a No. 48 choreography. The message, "We will continue to fight together with Shiba," could be felt throughout the stadium. "We wanted to fight hard for Shiba today as well, and the players gave everything. Personally, I'm satisfied that we were able to play in front of our fans and win," said manager Pablo Machin. Cerezo will now look to become an even stronger group and fight through the season together with their sights set on the summit.