Shimizu vs OsakaPrediction, probable lineups, recent form & season stats

IAI Stadium Nihondaira in Shizuoka hosts the Emperor Cup second round between Shimizu S-pulse and Cerezo Osaka. The home side arrive on back-to-back narrow defeats, the latest against Cerezo Osaka themselves, following three straight wins that included away victories over Karlsruher SC and Polessya. Cerezo Osaka drew their last game 2-2 with FC Ryukyu after back-to-back wins, 4-1 over Nara Club and 4-2 over Parceiro Nagano. There is no official record of a previous meeting between the two sides. The prediction may change in the hours before kick-off. Confirmed line-ups, late injuries, suspensions, rotation ahead of other fixtures and the state of the pitch and the weather can all alter the picture described above. In those cases the selection may be reviewed and updated within 12 to 24 hours of the match: this happens rarely, but when it does, the version published on this page is always the current one. The data and assessments here are provided for information and statistical purposes.