Gamba Osaka sent out a team of reserves - though bolstered by Takashi Usami and Kwon Kyung-won - both looking for fitness games after recent injuries - against the team from Tokyo, and the stats show more shots, more chances, more corners, more time in their opponents' half, a wrongly-disallowed goal, a red card decision that warranted discussion... but - the one thing that matters - a goal less than the home team in the end!

Shu Kurata - in a rare start - should have given his team an early lead after he headed a superb Jiro Nakamura cross over the bar from point-blank range, while Ryotaro Meshino was denied by a last-ditch desperate tackle as he was about to let fly from close range. More good work from Nakamura, and then the final pass from Musashi Suzuki making the chance.

Sadly with Gamba looking good for a goal at any moment, a huge over-reaction from the referee saw Rihito Yamamoto given a red card - with no VAR to save him in the Levain Cup - and Gamba were down to 10 men with 20 minutes go, and the game changed. The away team were soon down a goal from a speculative volley that crept in at Masaaki Higashiguchi's right-hand post, but the 10 men in white went for goals, and a point, or more, right to the end of the game.

Hideki Ishige came close with a long-range effort that the 'keeper had to palm over, and then Ryu Takao took a pass, turned his defender and blasted home into the roof of the net only to see the flag up for offside. Replays would show that he was well onside, but again, no VAR to save the day - a day to forget for this referee team, for sure. Final score, 1-0 to the home team but again, nothing to be ashamed off for this Gamba team still looking to find the right combination.

Team - Higashiguchi, Takao, Fukuoka, Kwon, Egawa (Fujiharu, 81'), R.Yamamoto, Kurata (Yanagisawa, 81'), Usami (Ishige, 63'), Nakamura (Sugiyama, 72'), Meshino (Yamami, 72'), Suzuki