Nagoya Grampus delivered a spirited display of clinical finishing and defensive resolve to edge Cerezo Osaka 2-1, halting the visitors’ late surge and claiming a vital three points in J1 League’s penultimate round. Despite the home side’s modest 35% possession, it was Nagoya who executed with precision, capitalizing on their key chances and holding firm under sustained pressure.

Nagoya’s manager Kenta Hasegawa set his side out in a 3-4-2-1, seeking disciplined lines and swift transition. It paid off handsomely in the 37th minute, as veteran midfielder Yuki Nogami broke the deadlock, steering home after a deft assist from Haruya Fujii. The Grampus doubled their lead just before halftime, with Yudai Kimura finishing a slick move orchestrated by Sho Inagaki, sending the Toyota Stadium into raptures.

Cerezo Osaka, fielding Shinji Kagawa at the heart of midfield in Arthur Thomas Papastamatiou’s 4-2-3-1, dominated possession (65%) and controlled much of the tempo, stringing together 619 passes at 87% accuracy. Yet for all their ball dominance, they struggled to break down Nagoya’s compact defensive lines—Yohei Takeda was commanding in goal, registering five crucial saves and marshalling his back three.

The visitors injected urgency with a double substitution at halftime, but Nagoya nearly put the game beyond reach in the 58th minute, only for Kimura’s would-be second to be ruled offside. Cerezo finally breached the Grampus defense in the 85th minute: Vitor Bueno, fresh off the bench, slotted home after a spell of relentless pressure, sparking hopes of a comeback.

The final minutes saw Cerezo laying siege to the Nagoya area, Ratão firing three shots on target and Kagawa probing for openings, but the hosts held firm. The match, notable for its low foul count but high tactical intensity, saw Nagoya absorbing waves of attack and executing timely clearances.

While Cerezo Osaka statistically dominated—ten shots, six on target, and more than double the passes—the night belonged to the efficiency and grit of Nagoya Grampus. The result has significant repercussions on the table, pulling Nagoya out of a recent slump and complicating Cerezo’s push to consolidate a top-half finish.

For the highlights, YouTube’s official J.League channel (well over 1 million subscribers) offers an expertly condensed recap, capturing both Nagoya’s early clinical moments and Cerezo’s relentless late barrage, and confirming the authenticity of the match footage.

Key Moments:

• 37' Nogami goal (Nagoya) — assist: Fujii
• 45' Kimura goal (Nagoya) — assist: Inagaki
• 85' Bueno goal (Cerezo)
• 58' Kimura offside goal (Nagoya, disallowed)
• 5 saves: Takeda (Nagoya)
• 3 shots on target: Ratão (Cerezo)
• Possession: Cerezo 65%, Nagoya 35%

Nagoya’s victory, forged with resolve and timely attacking, sets the stage for a compelling run-in as the J.League regular season approaches its climax.