Kashima vs Cerezo Osaka Prediction

Recent Form

Kashima's last 20 matches span J1 League games alongside cup fixtures and even a friendly against Borussia Dortmund, so it's a broad sample rather than a pure league run. Across those fixtures they've won 15, drawn 3 and lost just 2, scoring 42 and conceding only 13 - numbers that point to a team in good touch.

Kashima: 20 completed matches; Cerezo Osaka: 20 completed matches.

Kashima

20 matches

Win

75% 15 / 20

Draw

15% 3 / 20

Loss

10% 2 / 20

Scored

41

Conceded

13

Difference

+28

Cerezo Osaka

20 matches

Win

60% 12 / 20

Draw

25% 5 / 20

Loss

15% 3 / 20

Scored

38

Conceded

22

Difference

+16

Cerezo Osaka's equivalent sample also mixes in J-League Cup and Emperor Cup fixtures. They've won 11 of 20, drawn 6 and lost 3, with 35 scored against 21 conceded - solid enough, but clearly leakier at the back than their hosts.

Kashima's defensive numbers stand out more than Cerezo's attacking ones.

Comparative Team Statistics: Kashima vs Cerezo Osaka

Head-to-Head

The two sides have met close to twenty times since 2017, and Kashima have won the majority of those meetings, including the most recent one in September 2025, a 3-1 home win. Cerezo have had their moments too, winning at Kashima's ground as recently as 2022, but the overall trend favours the hosts.

It's worth remembering this is history rather than a guarantee. Nearly a decade of results won't tell us much about either side's current form.

Kashima's long-term head-to-head edge, especially at home, lines up with their current form.

League Table Snapshot

With eight games played, Kashima sit 8th on 13 points and Cerezo Osaka are 11th on 11. It's an early-season picture and the gap between them is only two points, so this isn't a case of one side running away at the top.

Team News

Léo Ceará has been prolific for Kashima, with 10 goals in just 7 appearances - comfortably the headline number here. A. Čavrić has chipped in with 4 in 8, and Y. Matsumura has supplied a couple of assists.

Kashima:

Best scorers:

Léo Ceará - 10

A. Čavrić - 4

Best assist providers:

Y. Matsumura - 2

Penalty cards:

K. Misao x 3

R. Hirose x 2

Y. Suzuki x 2

There's no equivalent data available for Cerezo Osaka's individual contributors, so it's hard to say who might trouble Kashima at the other end.

Kashima's threat looks concentrated in Léo Ceará rather than spread evenly.

How It Might Play Out

Put it together and Kashima look the more rounded side right now: tighter at the back, sharper in front of goal, and with a long home record against this opponent. Cerezo Osaka haven't been far off though, and their away form has produced enough goals and points to suggest they won't simply roll over.

Cerezo have shown they can find the net against Kashima before, and their broader sample has conceded 21 goals itself, so a tight, error-free homecoming for Kashima isn't fully assured.