Gamba Osaka will be hoping to continue their impressive unbeaten run when they host struggling Kashiwa Reysol at Panasonic Stadium on Sunday evening in the J League.
The hosts are climbing up the top flight after a good run of form, while Kashiwa will be looking to build on success in the cup against lower-league opposition last time out.
Match preview
Gamba made it five matches without defeat in all competitions with a narrow 1-0 success over Kyoto Sanga in front of their home faithful last Saturday night.
The game threatened to finish level following a goalless - and relatively uneventful first period - but a 72nd-minute goal from Yuya Fukuda stole all the points for the hosts.
Dani Poyatos's men are currently 13th in the J League standings, with their exceptional form of late allowing them to move 10 points clear of Shonan Bellmare in the division's only relegation spot.
Gamba have been impressive at Panasonic Stadium so far this term, with 15 of their 23 J League points coming at their Osaka home, and the hosts will be searching for their fifth win of the campaign in front of their passionate supporters.
Kashiwa put J League troubles behind them on Wednesday night by beating second-tier strugglers Tokushima Vortis 2-1 to book their place in the fourth round of the Japanese Cup.
Hidetake Maie netted a brace for the hosts at Sankyo Frontier Stadium, with that success being the team's first since smashing Yamanashi Gakuin University 7-1 at the start of June.
Masami Ihara's men are currently enduring a run of nine matches with a maximum in the J league, leaving them at serious risk of being dragged into the relegation zone by Shonan Bellmare.
Reysol met with Bellmare for a crunch contest last weekend, with the match ending in a draw after Kazunari Ono netted a 93rd-minute equaliser for the division's bottom club.
Team News
Gamaba are likely to name an unchanged XI to the one which narrowly defeated Kyoto last time out, meaning Genta Miura will have the opportunity to build on his excellent performance.
If Poyatos was to make any changes it would be in offensive areas, with Brazilian Juan potentially set to be bench so that Ryotaro Meshino can be reinstated into the side.
Kashiwa will be without the services of centre-back Yugo Tatsuta for the trip to the Panasonic Stadium, with the 25-year-old picking up a red card during his side's stalemate with Shonan last weekend.
Such an absence will likely result in Eiichi Katayama being promoted to a starting berth on Sunday - the defender is back in the J League after spending nearly two years at second-tier outfit Shimizu S-Pulse.
Gamba Osaka possible starting lineup:
Higashiguchi; Handa, Miura, Kwon, Kurokawa; Lavi, Dawhan, Yamamoto; Juan, Jebali, Fukuda
Kashiwa Reysol possible starting lineup:
Matsumoto; Tsuchiya, Katayama, Koga, Diego; Koyamatsu, Toshima, Shiihashi, Savio; Hosoya, Grot
We say: Gamba Osaka 1-0 Kashiwa Reysol
Gamba have distanced themselves from any immediate fears of a relegation battle with a good run of form recently, and the hosts will be confident of extending their unbeaten streak on Sunday.
Kashiwa have struggled enormously in the J League for over two months, and this weekend could finally be the time that they drop into the relegation zone.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
