J1 League Regular Season - 14

V-varen Nagasaki 1 - 2 FT Nagoya Grampus

Peace Stadium

Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching

Futmetrix Verdict
55
FT
Sun, May 3
日本語
V-varen Nagasaki
1-2
Nagoya Grampus
⚡ Intensity 49
⚖️ Balance 74
🏆 Stakes 0
🎲 Upset 0
Nagai's brace completes gritty Nagoya comeback.

Nagai Masterclass Flips the Script at Peace Stadium

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 55/100. Kensuke Nagai's lethal finishing turned a tricky away day into a vital three points for high-flying Nagoya Grampus.

The Early Spark

Desperation can be a powerful motivator. Sitting in tenth place and suffering through a miserable run of form, V-varen Nagasaki came out swinging at Peace Stadium. They threw bodies forward, determined to dictate the tempo against a top-three side. Their aggressive posture paid off early. M. Hasegawa carved open the visitors' backline with a brilliant sequence of play, setting up Thiago. The striker made no mistake, drilling home the opener. The Intensity rating reflects that frantic early exchange. The hosts looked genuinely dominant for a fleeting moment. But title challengers do not panic. Before the home fans could finish their celebrations, Nagoya engineered an immediate, clinical response. A mere five minutes later, S. Sugiura orchestrated a rapid counter-attack. He found K. Nagai in space, and the equalizer was inevitable.

The Decisive Edge

The second act required a hero, and Nagoya's veteran forward answered the call. Nine minutes after the restart, Nagai struck again to completely flip the match on its head. The Balance of this contest was entirely shattered by his sheer ruthlessness in front of goal. Nagasaki actually generated more attacking volume over the ninety minutes, launching 17 shots and constantly knocking on the door. Yet, they desperately lacked the cutting edge that Nagai provided for the visitors. His match-winning brace demonstrated exactly why Nagoya Grampus are challenging at the sharp end of the J1 League table. They absorbed pressure, identified the structural weaknesses in the home defence, and executed their game plan with cold precision.

Standing Tall

Winning away from home often requires suffering, and Nagoya had to weather a ferocious late storm. You simply do not survive an aerial bombardment without a commanding presence between the sticks. Alexandre Pisano absolutely earned his match fee today. As Nagasaki chased the game, forcing a staggering 18 total corners in a relentless siege, the Grampus goalkeeper stood remarkably tall. His six crucial saves broke the hosts' spirit time and time again. Nagoya edged possession marginally across the match, but their game management in the dying moments sealed the three points. This gritty victory solidifies their status as genuine contenders. For Nagasaki, a bright start ultimately unraveled, leaving them to rue missed chances and defensive lapses.

Key Questions

What made Kensuke Nagai the Man of the Match?

His clinical finishing was the difference. He scored a decisive brace, pulling Nagoya Grampus back from a deficit and securing a vital away victory.

How did V-varen Nagasaki complete the comeback from behind?

Actually, it was Nagoya Grampus who completed the comeback. Nagasaki took the lead through Thiago, but Nagai's double secured the 2-1 victory for the visitors.

What is the Futmetrix Score?

The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.

Match Statistics

Possession
49%
51%
V-varen Nagasaki 49%
Nagoya Grampus 51%
Shots
17
12
V-varen Nagasaki 17
Nagoya Grampus 12
Shots on Target
8
6
V-varen Nagasaki 8
Nagoya Grampus 6
Passes
376
398
V-varen Nagasaki 376
Nagoya Grampus 398
Pass Accuracy
70%
78%
V-varen Nagasaki 70%
Nagoya Grampus 78%
Corners
9
9
V-varen Nagasaki 9
Nagoya Grampus 9
Fouls
11
3
V-varen Nagasaki 11
Nagoya Grampus 3
Yellow Cards
1
0
V-varen Nagasaki 1
Nagoya Grampus 0
Red Cards
0
0
V-varen Nagasaki 0
Nagoya Grampus 0

Match Events

29' Thiago (M. Hasegawa)
K. Nagai (S. Sugiura) 34'
HT
S. Mori H. Koda 🔄 46'
46' 🔄 R. Yamada N. Campbell
53' 🔄 I. Arai H. Teruyama
K. Nagai 54'
63' 🔄 Thiago Matheus Jesus
63' 🔄 S. Yoneda T. Kasayanagi
K. Nagai K. Sakakibara 🔄 72'
74' 🔄 H. Yamaguchi Diego Pituca
R. Yamanaka Y. Sato 🔄 79'
S. Sugiura Y. Kimura 🔄 79'
80' 🟨 Matheus Jesus
Y. Nogami A. Kawazura 🔄 86'
FT

Player Cards

Our take on every player in this match

V-varen Nagasaki

Goalkeepers
Goto Masaaki
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Onaga Hijiri
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Arai Ikki
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
53
Total Mins
53
Entry
Eduardo
ARCHITECT
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
26%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
Masahiro Sekiguchi
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Riku Yamada
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
Yamaguchi Hotaru
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
74
Total Mins
74
Entry
Yoneda Shunya
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
64
Total Mins
63
Entry
Forwards
Tenmu Matsumoto
MAGNET
MAGNET
52
Activity
52
Activity
34
Passes
18
Duels
Motoki Hasegawa
PROVIDER
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
3
Key Passes
7.6
Rating
Thiago Santana
FINISHER
FINISHER
1
Goals
1
Goals
4
Shots
7.5
Rating
BENCH
Hatano Go
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Hayato Teruyama
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
41
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Keita Takahata
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Norman Campbell
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
49
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Matheus Jesus
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
31
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tsubasa Kasayanagi
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
30
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Diego Pituca
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
20
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Iwasaki Yuto
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yamasaki Ryogo
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry

Nagoya Grampus

Goalkeepers
Alexandre Pisano
MAGNET
MAGNET
52
Activity
52
Activity
51
Passes
1
Duels
Defenders
Yuki Nogami
NPC
NPC
86
Minutes
86
Minutes
30%
Pass Acc
6.9
Rating
Kennedy Egbus Mikuni
PROVIDER
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7.3
Rating
Shuhei Tokumoto
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Soichiro Mori
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
Masahito Ono
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
94
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Takuya Uchida
MAGNET
MAGNET
64
Activity
64
Activity
54
Passes
10
Duels
Ryosuke Yamanaka
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
11
Late Mins
11
Late Mins
79
Total Mins
79
Entry
Forwards
Taichi Kikuchi
MAGNET
MAGNET
48
Activity
48
Activity
41
Passes
7
Duels
Kensuke Nagai
HITMAN
HITMAN
2
Goals
2
Goals
2
On Target
9.3
Rating
Shungo Sugiura
PROVIDER
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7.5
Rating
BENCH
Hiroaki Hagi
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Harumu Kubo
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Akinari Kawazura
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
8
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yota Sato
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hidemasa Koda
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
49
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Haruto Suzuki
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kyota Sakakibara
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
22
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yudai Kimura
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry

Head to Head

Date Home Score Away Competition Venue
02/21/2026 Nagoya Grampus 1 - 3 V-varen Nagasaki J1 League Toyota Stadium
09/15/2018 Nagoya Grampus 3 - 4 V-varen Nagasaki J1 League Nagoya Mizuho Athletics Stadium
05/12/2018 V-varen Nagasaki 3 - 0 Nagoya Grampus J1 League Nagasaki Prefectural Stadium
10/21/2017 V-varen Nagasaki 1 - 1 Nagoya Grampus J2 League transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki (Isahaya)
06/25/2017 Nagoya Grampus 2 - 0 V-varen Nagasaki J2 League Nagoya Mizuho Athletic Stadium (Nagoya)
02/21/2026
J1 League Toyota Stadium
09/15/2018
J1 League Nagoya Mizuho Athletics Stadium
05/12/2018
J1 League Nagasaki Prefectural Stadium
10/21/2017
J2 League transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki (Isahaya)
06/25/2017
J2 League Nagoya Mizuho Athletic Stadium (Nagoya)
V-varen Nagasaki Win
Nagoya Grampus Win
Draw

League Standings

Pos Team P Pts GF GA GD Form
1 Vissel Kobe 14 28 23 15 +8 WVissel Kobe 1 - 0 Kyoto Sanga (13-05-2026)LGamba Osaka 5 - 0 Vissel Kobe (02-05-2026)DVissel Kobe 0 - 0 (PEN 2-4) Cerezo Osaka (29-04-2026)WVissel Kobe 3 - 2 Nagoya Grampus (11-04-2026)WFagiano Okayama 1 - 4 Vissel Kobe (05-04-2026)
2 Nagoya Grampus 14 23 23 17 +6 WV-varen Nagasaki 1 - 2 Nagoya Grampus (03-05-2026)DNagoya Grampus 1 - 1 (PEN 4-5) Fagiano Okayama (29-04-2026)WShimizu S-pulse 0 - 2 Nagoya Grampus (25-04-2026)DNagoya Grampus 2 - 2 (PEN 5-4) Avispa Fukuoka (19-04-2026)LVissel Kobe 3 - 2 Nagoya Grampus (11-04-2026)
3 Gamba Osaka 14 20 22 16 +6 WGamba Osaka 5 - 0 Vissel Kobe (02-05-2026)DKyoto Sanga 1 - 1 (PEN 5-4) Gamba Osaka (29-04-2026)DV-varen Nagasaki 1 - 1 (PEN 5-6) Gamba Osaka (25-04-2026)DGamba Osaka 2 - 2 (PEN 5-3) Fagiano Okayama (19-04-2026)LGamba Osaka 0 - 1 Cerezo Osaka (11-04-2026)
4 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 14 18 19 18 +1 LFagiano Okayama 1 - 0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (02-05-2026)DAvispa Fukuoka 2 - 2 (PEN 4-3) Sanfrecce Hiroshima (29-04-2026)WSanfrecce Hiroshima 2 - 1 Cerezo Osaka (25-04-2026)WSanfrecce Hiroshima 2 - 0 V-varen Nagasaki (18-04-2026)DSanfrecce Hiroshima 1 - 1 (PEN 5-4) Shimizu S-pulse (11-04-2026)
5 Shimizu S-pulse 14 18 16 15 +1 WKyoto Sanga 1 - 2 Shimizu S-pulse (02-05-2026)LShimizu S-pulse 1 - 2 V-varen Nagasaki (29-04-2026)LShimizu S-pulse 0 - 2 Nagoya Grampus (25-04-2026)DSanfrecce Hiroshima 1 - 1 (PEN 5-4) Shimizu S-pulse (11-04-2026)WV-varen Nagasaki 0 - 3 Shimizu S-pulse (05-04-2026)
6 Fagiano Okayama 14 18 16 20 -4 WFagiano Okayama 1 - 0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (02-05-2026)DNagoya Grampus 1 - 1 (PEN 4-5) Fagiano Okayama (29-04-2026)WFagiano Okayama 2 - 0 Avispa Fukuoka (25-04-2026)DGamba Osaka 2 - 2 (PEN 5-3) Fagiano Okayama (19-04-2026)LKyoto Sanga 5 - 1 Fagiano Okayama (11-04-2026)
7 Cerezo Osaka 14 17 13 13 0 DCerezo Osaka 1 - 1 (PEN 4-3) Avispa Fukuoka (03-05-2026)DVissel Kobe 0 - 0 (PEN 2-4) Cerezo Osaka (29-04-2026)LSanfrecce Hiroshima 2 - 1 Cerezo Osaka (25-04-2026)WCerezo Osaka 3 - 0 Kyoto Sanga (18-04-2026)WGamba Osaka 0 - 1 Cerezo Osaka (11-04-2026)
8 Kyoto Sanga 14 16 17 18 -1 LVissel Kobe 1 - 0 Kyoto Sanga (13-05-2026)LKyoto Sanga 1 - 2 Shimizu S-pulse (02-05-2026)DKyoto Sanga 1 - 1 (PEN 5-4) Gamba Osaka (29-04-2026)LCerezo Osaka 3 - 0 Kyoto Sanga (18-04-2026)WKyoto Sanga 5 - 1 Fagiano Okayama (11-04-2026)
9 V-varen Nagasaki 14 16 14 21 -7 LV-varen Nagasaki 1 - 2 Nagoya Grampus (03-05-2026)WShimizu S-pulse 1 - 2 V-varen Nagasaki (29-04-2026)DV-varen Nagasaki 1 - 1 (PEN 5-6) Gamba Osaka (25-04-2026)LSanfrecce Hiroshima 2 - 0 V-varen Nagasaki (18-04-2026)LAvispa Fukuoka 1 - 0 V-varen Nagasaki (11-04-2026)
10 Avispa Fukuoka 14 12 13 23 -10 DCerezo Osaka 1 - 1 (PEN 4-3) Avispa Fukuoka (03-05-2026)DAvispa Fukuoka 2 - 2 (PEN 4-3) Sanfrecce Hiroshima (29-04-2026)LFagiano Okayama 2 - 0 Avispa Fukuoka (25-04-2026)DNagoya Grampus 2 - 2 (PEN 5-4) Avispa Fukuoka (19-04-2026)WAvispa Fukuoka 1 - 0 V-varen Nagasaki (11-04-2026)