Machida Zelvia secured a 3-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds at the National Stadium on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run to eight matches in J-League 1. The hosts, who sit top of the table with 13 points from five games, controlled the tempo for large stretches despite Urawa holding 62 per cent of possession. The result leaves Urawa in 14th place with six points and a goal difference of -4.
Hotaka Nakamura opened the scoring in the eighth minute, a moment that set the tone for how Machida would approach the game. Ryoma Watanabe pulled one back for Urawa just before half-time, but the visitors were out-thought on the touchline by then. Machida came out after the break and turned it on, with Takuma Nishimura restoring their lead in the 54th minute.
Neta Lavi then kicked things into gear, scoring twice in quick succession to put the match beyond doubt. By the 61st minute, Urawa were backs against the walls and the substitutions that followed were largely reactive. Mitchell Duke came on early for Machida, while Urawa brought on Matheus Sávio and Ueki Hayate in the 68th minute.
The statistics tell a familiar story — Urawa dominated possession and created more chances, but Machida converted when it mattered. The hosts registered seven shots on target compared to Urawa's three, and their 54 per cent shot accuracy was the difference. Urawa created six big chances but could not find the net consistently, while Machida made do with two.
Yoichi Naganuma picked up a booking for Urawa in the 83rd minute, the only card of the match. Both sides made multiple changes in the final ten minutes, with Machida bringing on Hiiro Komori and Yuki Soma, while Urawa introduced Kotaro Hayashi and Gen Shoji. Machida saw out the remainder without incident.
