Avispa Fukuoka pulled off an impressive comeback to beat Gamba Osaka 2-1 in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE on Wednesday, as the sides played their rearranged fixture from REGIONAL ROUND Match Week 17.
The game was originally scheduled for mid-May, but was moved forward on account of G-Osaka progressing to the final of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26.
G-Osaka were the first side to threaten at Panasonic Stadium Suita, with Issam Jebali hitting the post in the eighth minute after being teed up by Ryoya Yamashita.
The home side did then break the deadlock a minute later, when Yamashita headed Shinya Nakano’s cross back across goal and Harumi Minamino reacted superbly to acrobatically hook the ball home.
G-Osaka almost doubled their lead in the 20th minute, but after Ryotaro Meshino did well to create a shooting opportunity he was denied by the foot of Fukuoka goalkeeper Kazuki Fujita.
Fukuoka first threatened six minutes after that, but after a long throw from Yu Hashimoto was headed to him on the edge of the area, Tomoya Miki couldn’t quite direct a sweetly-struck volley on target.
Fujita was equal to another Minamino effort in the 39th minute, and four minutes later the visitors pulled level.
Takumi Kamijima headed into the six-yard box, and Yutaka Michiwaki snuck in to beat G-Osaka’s J.League debutant goalkeeper Rui Araki to the ball and glance into the net.
Things got even better for Fukuoka in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, as they took the lead thanks to Kazuki Fujimoto’s looped header after a teasing ball into the box from the left by Hashimoto.
G-Osaka pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but the closest they came was in the 65th minute when Shoji Toyama’s shot from distance thundered off the crossbar.
The result saw Fukuoka climb up to eighth in the West table on 15 points, while G-Osaka remain second on 19, six points behind leaders Vissel Kobe having played a game more.
Gamba Osaka vs Avispa Fukuoka - Game Highlights | 2026 J1 LEAGUE | MW17
