Match Report
Kashima Antlers went into the game 1st in the table on 76 points; Sanfrecce Hiroshima sat 4th on 68 — an 8-point gap. Scoring rates set the scale: Kashima Antlers 1.53 scored and 0.82 conceded per game, Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1.21 and 0.74, with the league averaging 1.2.
The head-to-head ledger counts 7 games: 3 Kashima Antlers wins, 3 for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, 1 draw, at 2.57 goals per meeting. The host's record in this fixture is thin — 29% of meetings won.
The match was played at Kashima Soccer Stadium in Kashima (capacity 40,728). Half-time and full-time told different stories: Sanfrecce Hiroshima led 1-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 1-1.
Goal scorers
Kashima Antlers: Léo Ceará (90') · Sanfrecce Hiroshima: Shunki Higashi (19')