Alright, let's dive into this showdown, shall we? The ever-pleasing Cerezo Osaka is set to cross swords with Jubilo Iwata. The men between the poles - Jin Hyeon Kim for Osaka, with a 7.35 rating and 12 saves, is seemingly a stiff wall to break, a slight edge over Jubilo's Eiji Kawashima who has logged a 6.90 rating with 9 saves. Now, that's what I call top-notch glovework.
As we peruse the player list, for Jubilo Iwata, Makito Ito, Ricardo Graça, and Keita Takahata stand out purely on their ratings, but it's worth stating the obvious here that their accurate pass percentages seem to be more impressive than their shooting skills - no goals to their names this season! Now for Osaka, the trigger-happy Léo Ceará with 2 goals and 8 shots on goal seems to be making his mark along with Lucas Fernandes and Kakeru Funaki.
Let's drift into history. Their last match ended in a spicy 1-1 tie, leaving us with the tantalizing prospect of a grudge match.
Osaka's recent form is nothing short of a freight train, plowing through opponents. They've been chalking up victories left and right while Jubilo, on the other hand, seem to be having a bit of trouble getting things moving. Let's not forget the season records of both sides. Osaka has fared better, no doubt about it.
Now, I'm no fortune teller, but based on these figures, the tide certainly seems to be in the favor of Cerezo Osaka. So, without further ado, let's drop this prophecy.
Albert’s Prediction: Cerezo Osaka by 1.