Review: Kashima Antlers 3-1 Cerezo Osaka (J1 MD31) | Official website

Cerezo made a full lineup change from the previous match and took the lead away to league-leaders Kashima Antlers, but conceded three goals and fell to a comeback defeat.

After a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Kashiwa Reysol just two days earlier, Cerezo Osaka travelled to the home of league leaders Kashima Antlers for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 31 match. Manager Arthur Papas changed the entire starting lineup from the previous game, largely due to the tight schedule, but after the match he explained, “Thinking about the future of this club and how we will compete for titles going forward, and with the season now in its final stage, I felt this was a time when we needed to see how far the players can go.”

Goalkeeper Kim Jin Hyeon started behind a back line of Niko Takahashi, Shinnosuke Hatanaka, Ryuya Nishio, and Hayato Okuda. In midfield, Kyohei Yoshino and Hinata Kida formed the double pivot, with Shion Homma on the left wing, Vítor Bueno in the No. 10 role, Reiya Sakata on the right, and Motohiko Nakajima as the lone striker. From the outset Cerezo struggled to build out from the back, giving Kashima a few early chances, but as they gradually adjusted to the pitch conditions they began to move the ball forward more smoothly and even win possession high up the field. In the 15th minute, Cerezo created the first clear chance of the match. Homma won the ball high on the left and broke forward before sending a pass inside. Bueno let it run, and Nakajima took one touch before unleashing a powerful shot, but it lacked angle and was tipped away by goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa’s outstretched right hand. Homma cut inside for another effort in the 19th minute, and in the 23rd, a short counter brought another opportunity when Sakata’s pressing forced a turnover. Nakajima drove forward and slipped a pass to Bueno, whose delicate chip was again denied by Hayakawa. Cerezo finally converted their next chance in the 26th minute. When Gaku Shibasaki received the ball, Homma and Kida combined to dispossess him, leading to a swift move through Homma, Nakajima, and Sakata into the box. As Sakata cut the ball back, Homma was brought down by Kei Chinen, earning a penalty that Bueno calmly slotted into the right corner to put Cerezo ahead. Despite the full squad rotation, Cerezo’s cohesive defending and sharp attacking play suggested they might take control. However, just three minutes later Kashima drew level when center-back Naomichi Ueda surged down the right and delivered a cross that Chinen headed home at the far post. Moments later Shibasaki tested Kim with a long-range strike, but the keeper made a fine save. In the 43rd minute, Cerezo broke with a numerical advantage, only for Nakajima’s shot to fly over the crossbar. The first half ended 1–1. Having overcome a shaky start to seize the lead, Cerezo would have preferred to go into the break in front.

Both sides made changes at the break. Cerezo replaced Niko Takahashi with Ayumu Ohata, while Kashima brought on their ace Yuma Suzuki and midfielder Yu Funabashi. Right after the restart, Suzuki fired two shots, but even as Cerezo looked to settle and keep the ball, they were undone by a single long pass. Naomichi Ueda sent a ball in behind to Leo Ceara; Ryuya Nishio lunged to intercept but failed to cut it out and the ball skipped past him, allowing Ceara to race clear and finish the one-on-one. Having scored freely for Cerezo over the past two seasons, Ceara showed his trademark composure, but for Cerezo it was a careless way to concede. The moment Kashima went ahead, the atmosphere and momentum shifted dramatically. With Kashima now pouring forward in waves, Cerezo struggled to turn the tide. In the 62nd minute, manager Arthur Papas made a triple substitution—Lucas Fernandes, Shinji Kagawa, and Shunta Tanaka—but in the 68th they suffered a third blow. After losing the ball on the right side of their own half, Cerezo were hit on the counter, the flank was broken, and substitute Yuta Matsumura struck to make it 3–1. That effectively settled the contest. Cerezo did create a chance in the 84th minute when Lucas drove forward and set up Motohiko Nakajima for a shot, but they also faced several scares of a possible fourth goal. Led by Shinnosuke Hatanaka, the defense held firm late on, yet after a competitive first half Cerezo were overpowered in the second, falling 1–3.

Cerezo Osaka faced a tough away match against league leaders Kashima Antlers, with manager Papas declaring before the game, “Kashima are a club that will give everything in their push for the title, but rather than focusing on the opponent, we want to concentrate on what we can do. We want to play a game that we can win.” However, after the match, the players acknowledged Kashima’s strength. Hinata Kida said, “The way they finish their chances—that’s probably why they’re at the top right now,” while Shion Homma added, “There’s a lot we can learn from the way a team fighting for the title manages the game and maintains their mentality.” Next up, Cerezo return home to face Kyoto Sanga F.C., aiming to bounce back from this defeat with a victory against an opponent currently in third place, five points behind Kashima as of the previous round.