On September 3, 2025, the first leg of the J.League Cup quarterfinals will kick off at Nissan Stadium, as Yokohama F. Marinos face Kashiwa Reysol. While the two teams occupy very different positions in the league standings, the cup presents a different kind of battle.
Match Outlook: Yokohama F. Marinos vs Kashiwa Reysol
Yokohama F. Marinos finished mid-table in last season’s league, collecting 52 points and securing ninth place on goal difference. By contrast, Kashiwa Reysol spent almost the entire 2024 campaign fighting relegation, and narrowly survived by finishing 17th with 41 points.
This season, under Ricardo Rodríguez, Yokohama F. Marinos have made significant progress and are now among the main contenders for the league title. They also showcased their strength in a 2-1 league victory over Avispa Fukuoka. Kashiwa Reysol, however, continue to struggle and are once again threatened by relegation. Although they reached the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League, they were eliminated by Al-Nassr. It wasn’t until the summer that they began to collect points more steadily and close the gap to the survival line, but most recently they fell 0-1 to Vissel Kobe.
This will be the first cup match of the campaign for Yokohama F. Marinos, while Kashiwa Reysol advanced in June by defeating Tokyo Verdy 3-0 away and 2-1 at home.
Key Stats and Trends
Yokohama F. Marinos have lost 2 of their last 7 matches
The team averages 0.96 goals scored and 1.26 goals conceded per match
37% of their matches see both teams score, with an average total of 2.22 goals per game
Kashiwa Reysol have won 6 of their last 9 matches
The team averages 1.48 goals scored and 1.0 conceded per match
52% of their games see both teams score, with an average total of 2.48 goals per game
Probable Starting Lineups
Yokohama F. Marinos (probable): Park Il-Gyu – Kato, Deng, Quinones, Matsubara – Kida, Watanabe, Kuro, Miyaichi, Uenaka – Tanimura
Kashiwa Reysol (probable): Kojima – Mitsumaru, Koga, Harada – Koyamatsu, Watai, Koizumi, Nakagawa, Yamada, Kubo – Kakita
Head-to-Head Record
In their last four meetings, Kashiwa Reysol have won three times and lost just once.
Prediction
Kashiwa Reysol’s recent form shows signs of recovery, and their performances have been relatively steady. However, considering Yokohama F. Marinos’ strength and home advantage, the safer choice here is Handicap “0” on the visitors (odds – 1.6).
