The second leg of the 2018 J.League YBC Levain Cup Playoff Stage took place on Saturday, with four teams booking their spots in the quarterfinals alongside Kawasaki Frontale, Kashima Antlers, Cerezo Osaka and Kashiwa Reysol.
Yokohama F. Marinos took a 4-2 first leg lead into Noevir Stadium, falling behind in the 13th minute to Vissel Kobe but equalising 1-1 on a 66th minute Hugo Viera goal and advancing 5-3 on aggregate.
Shonan Bellmare fell 3-1 at Vegalta Sendai, with Ryunosuke Noda’s left-footed grounder in the 69th minute just enough to give the BMW Stadium residents a 4-3 aggregate victory and help them reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1996.
After a first leg defeat to Ventforet Kofu at Chuo Bank Stadium, Urawa Reds raced to a 2-0 led with goals from Shinzo Koroki in the 19th and 24th minutes. Just three minutes later, Kazuki Kozuka responded for the visitors, eventually giving them a 3-2 aggregate victory and sending the J2 side to the next stage.
At Yamaha Stadium, Hwang Ui Jo scored a 40-minute hat trick, giving Gamba Osaka a 3-2 victory on the day and a 4-2 aggregate win over Jubilo Iwata.
The draw for the Knockout Stage will take place on Sunday, July 29, with quarterfinals to take place on September 5 and 9, semifinals scheduled for October 10 and 14, and the final set for October 27 at Saitama Stadium.