Serezo Osaka beat Gifu 3:1 in the second round of the Emperor's Cup on Wednesday. The hosts took an early lead through a penalty but Gifu equalised almost immediately from the spot. Two goals from Y. Komi secured the win for Osaka despite a late scare when their own effort was ruled out by VAR.
And here's the thing — it was penalties that decided the opening exchanges. L. Fernandes converted for Osaka in the twenty-first minute, then J. Tell replied for Gifu seven minutes later. The visitors were not out of it, but Osaka regained control before the break.
Komi opened the scoring in the fifty-fourth minute and sealed the result in added time at ninety-plus-seven. There was a moment of drama in the eighty-seventh when H. Kanda's effort looked like it might extend the lead, but VAR cancelled the goal. To be fair, the visitors could not respond after that.
Osaka dominated possession at 56 per cent and registered 86 attacks compared to Gifu's 68. The hosts had only one corner but managed five shots on target alongside seven off target. Gifu won the aerial battle with five corners and hit six shots on target, though three of those missed the mark.
By then, the result meant Osaka moved on in the cup while Gifu's campaign came to an end. The hosts had won two of their last five league games, including a narrow victory over Shimizu S-Pulse on August 22nd. Gifu's recent form showed more inconsistency, with a 3:1 win against Toyama Shindo on August 19th but losses to Omiya Ardija and defeat at Ventforet Kofu earlier in the season.