Fagiano Okayama vs Gamba Osaka Prediction: Can The New Boys Outshine The Veteran Grit?

Fagiano Okayama will welcome Gamba Osaka to the JFE Harenokuni Stadium in the third round of the J1 League. Okayama are eight in the league standings, while Gamba Osaka are 12th. Can the home team cause another upset and win their second consecutive top-flight match?

Let's head into the match preview to find the best odds on the Fagiano Okayama vs. Gamba Osaka game and my expert picks to place your bets.

Fagiano Okayama

Fagiano Okayama who earned promotion to the J1 League for the first time since it's foundation in 2004 have made a promising start in the top-flight. 

Okayama secured their first win of the season on opening day against Kyoto Sanga. Takaya Kimura's first half brace was enough to see the team eke out a convincing 2-0 home victory. 

However, they failed to build on this momentum in the follow up losing to Yokohama FC on the road. They saw 54% of ball possession but that wasn't enough to stop Solomon Sakuragawa from scoring in the 57th minute, resulting in a 1-0 defeat.

Gamba Osaka

Gamba Osaka, on the other hand, did not get off to winning ways on the first day. In the J1 League curtain raiser, they were matched against rivals Cerezo Osaka in the Osaka Derby. They found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-2 scoreline at home.

Osaka did manage to seek redemption following that embarrassing defeat. They secured their first win at home courtesy of a 2-1 victory against Avispa Fukuoka. Shu Kurata scored twice to guide his team to that victory. 

Last season, Osaka concluded the season on a high when playing away. They avoided defeat in three matches, recording two wins and a solitary draw, not to mention consecutive wins against Jubilo Iwata and Albirex Niigata. It's without a shadow of a doubt that they can win here.

Match Facts

• Fagiano Okayama is currently on a six-match winning streak at home. Five of those games were played in the J2 League.
• Gamba Osaka has lost just one of their last eight matches in the J1 League.
• Fagiano Okayama has failed to score in just two of their last ten matches.
• Gamba Osaka is currently on a two-match winning streak when playing away in the J1 League.

Head-To-Head

This will be the first meeting between these two sides in the J1 League.

Expert Betting Tips

Fagiano Okayama was a force to be reckoned with when playing at home in the J2 League. This a team that won five straight home matches before signing off. Can they make life difficult for Gamba Osaka? Yes! However, I don't see them winning here but they are good enough to get on the scoreboard. 

Gamba Osaka has the experience in the J1 League and can secure a narrow win here. They are the ones that boast a superior squad at their disposal and I'm pretty sure that they won't be bullied by a newly-promoted outfit into giving up points. As such, I'm backing the visitors to win here.

Our main prediction for the match: W2 for 2.36 with 1xbet.

2nd prediction: Both Teams To Score - Yes for 2.10 with Bet365. 

3rd prediction: Goals - Over 2.5 for 2.33 with Betway.