Gamba Osaka will be looking to continue their fine run of form when they welcome Kashima Antlers to Panasonic Stadium Suita in the J League on Saturday evening.
The hosts have earned maximums in recent matches, which have gone a long way to ease relegation fears, while Kashima's unbeaten run continues as they hunt down the top places.
Match preview
Gamba Osaka made it three straight wins in the J League last time out with a 3-1 success at home against FC Tokyo, with a brace from Issam Jebali and a strike from Riku Handa making sure of a maximum.
Last weekend saw League Cup victory for Gamba, with Handa once again on the scoresheet to net the game's only goal in Group E of that particular competition, meaning they finished top of the section.
Dani Poyatos's men currently sit 16th in the J League standings, four points ahead of 18th-placed Kashiwa Reysol with half of the campaign completed so far.
Key to Gamba's relative success so far this term has been Brazilian Juan, with the 26-year-old scoring four goals and providing three assists in 16 league appearances.
Kashima Antlers secured a top-two standing in Group D of the League Cup last weekend with a convincing 2-0 victory over Albirex Niigata, with first-half goals from Hayato Nakama and Itsuki Someno proving enough for the points.
The Antlers are now unbeaten in any competition since their 2-1 loss to struggling Avispa Fukuoka in the League Cup back on April 19, with the club's most recent league defeat coming in that humbling 5-1 trashing at the hands of Vissel Kobe.
Having kept four clean sheets in their last four matches, there has been deserved praised for Kashima's 24-year-old stopper Tomoki Hayakawa - the goalkeeper has kept nine shutouts in 17 league matches this term.
Currently sitting in seventh and just five points behind third-placed Vissel, AFC Champions League football will be in the minds of Daiki Iwamasa's men this term after finishing fourth in the last two seasons.
Team News
Gamba are expected to name a similar side to the one which dismantled Tokyo during their last J League contest, meaning Juan and Shu Kurata will be tasked with supplying the service for talisman Jebali.
Yota Sato recorded his first goal contribution of the campaign in the victory over Tokyo and should be paired up with Shota Fukuoka in the hosts' defence on Saturday evening.
Kashima have a few injury worries within their camp ahead of a trip to Panasonic Stadium, with Yuki Kakita touch-and-go for the match after being forced off with 25 minutes in his team's last J League match.
Yuma Suzuki missed a penalty in the win over Shonan Bellmare a fortnight ago, although the 27-year-old should be assured of his starting berth in this one considering the Antlers' injuries in attack.
Gamba Osaka possible starting lineup:
Higashiguchi; Handa, Fukuoka, Sato, Kurokawa; Lavi, Dawhan, Yamamoto; Juan, Kurata, Jebali
Kashima Antlers possible starting lineup:
Hayakawa; Hirose, Ueda, Sekigawa, Anzai; Nago, Sano, Pituca, Higuchi; Someno, Suzuki
We say: Gamba Osaka 0-1 Kashima Antlers
Gamba did well last weekend to secure top of their League Cup group, but they now face a Kashima side who are in formidable form across all competitions.
The Antlers have been the division's most stubborn defence in June and should be confident of keeping a fifth-straight clean sheet at the Panasonic Stadium on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Carter White
