J1 League Regular Season - 1
V-varen Nagasaki 1 - 3 FT Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
S. Nakano (T. Shiotani) 35'
HT
46' ↓ T. Matsumoto ↑Diego Pituca
A. Suzuki 50'
H. Kawabe (S. Higashi) 54'
58' ↓ H. Onaga ↑T. Kasayanagi
↓ M. Kato ↑R. Germain 65'
↓ M. Ohara ↑S. Nakamura 65'
74' ↓ Y. Iwasaki ↑N. Campbell
↓ S. Higashi ↑N. Arai 75'
↓ A. Suzuki ↑T. Arslan 75'
81' Matheus Jesus (N. Campbell)
85' ↓ Thiago ↑R. Yamasaki
↓ Kim Ju-Sung ↑N. Maeda 90'+2
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
V-varen Nagasaki
Goalkeepers
M. Goto 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
R. Shindo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
H. Teruyama 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Y. Egawa
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
H. Onaga
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
58
Total Mins
58
Entry
H. Yamaguchi 
MAGNET
63
Activity
63
Activity
61
Passes
2
Duels
T. Matsumoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
Y. Iwasaki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
74
Total Mins
74
Entry
Forwards
Matheus Jesus 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
M. Hasegawa 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
59%
Pass Acc
Thiago 
DRIBBLER
5
Dribbles
5
Dribbles
6
Attempts
83%
Success %
BENCH
G. Hatano 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
S. Yoneda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
K. Kushibiki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Tadokoro
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
T. Sawada
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Diego Pituca
MAGNET
80
Activity
80
Activity
76
Passes
4
Duels
T. Kasayanagi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
32
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Campbell 
SUPER SUB
1
Assist
1
Assist
16
Minutes
6.9
Rating
R. Yamasaki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Goalkeepers
K. Osako
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
T. Shiotani 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
7.2
Rating
T. Yamasaki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kim Ju-Sung
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
27%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
S. Nakano 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
H. Kawabe
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
T. Matsumoto
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Higashi
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
1
Assists
19%
Pass Acc
BENCH
I. Ouchi
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
T. Shichi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Arai
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry
D. Suga
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
T. Arslan
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
15
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Germain
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
K. Kinoshita
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Nakamura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Maeda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2026 | V-varen Nagasaki | 1 - 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | J1 League | Peace Stadium |
| 08/11/2018 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2 - 0 | V-varen Nagasaki | J1 League | Hiroshima Big Arch |
| 04/28/2018 | V-varen Nagasaki | 0 - 2 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | J1 League | Nagasaki Prefectural Stadium |
02/06/2026
08/11/2018
04/28/2018
V-varen Nagasaki Win
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Win
Draw
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Hiroshima’s Counter-Attacking Masterclass Silences Peace Stadium
Average Entertainment Futmetrix Score: 38/100. Despite sacrificing the ball, Sanfrecce Hiroshima delivered a lesson in clinical finishing to tear through V-varen Nagasaki's defensive lines.
Tactical Foundations
The tactical blueprint at Peace Stadium was drawn up within the opening exchanges. V-varen Nagasaki controlled possession at 56%, moving the ball with purpose but failing to pierce a resolute backline. Instead, the real Intensity radiated from Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who soaked up the pressure and waited for the perfect moment to strike. This dynamic generated a staggering combined 30 shots across the ninety minutes, turning the pitch into a shooting gallery. The deadlock shattered in the 35th minute when S. Nakano timed his run to perfection. Latching onto a precise delivery from T. Shiotani, he fired the visitors ahead. Nagasaki had the ball, but Hiroshima had the cutting edge, heading into the break with a crucial advantage and a psychological stranglehold on the fixture.
The Counter-Attacking Pivot
Any hopes of a home resurgence evaporated early in the second half as the Balance of power shifted entirely. Pushing forward to find an equalizer, Nagasaki left vast expanses of green grass behind them—a fatal error against Hiroshima’s lethal transitional play. The visitors doubled their lead in the 50th minute through a devastating finish by A. Suzuki. Before the home supporters could even process the setback, the match was effectively killed off. Just four minutes later, S. Higashi carved open the fragmented defence to tee up H. Kawabe, who slammed home a third. Despite Hotaru Yamaguchi anchoring the midfield with an outstanding individual display for the hosts, he was repeatedly bypassed during these blistering counter-attacks.
Consolation and Consequences
Staring down a humiliating defeat, the home side finally showcased some late defiance. The Stakes were evident as Nagasaki threw caution to the wind, frantically searching for a lifeline. An inspired substitution saw N. Campbell enter the fray, and the fresh legs instantly disrupted the weary visiting defence. In the 81st minute, Campbell squared the ball perfectly for Matheus Jesus to grab a late consolation goal. However, it was far too little, too late. Hiroshima spectacularly snapped their dismal four-match losing streak, leapfrogging Nagasaki in the early season standings. For the hosts, the defeat exposes a glaring inability to turn sustained possession into meaningful chances, leaving them with serious tactical questions to answer after back-to-back league losses.
Key Questions
How did substitute Shuto Nakano change the game?
Despite the question's premise, Nakano actually started the match. He decisively broke the deadlock by scoring the opening goal in the 35th minute, launching Hiroshima's dominant attacking display.
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.
Struggling Sides Search for a Spark
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 8/100. Two mid-table sides desperately searching for an identity clash in an uninspiring fixture where dropping points is more likely than seizing glory.
The Setup
February 6, 2026, brings a clash at Peace Stadium that few neutrals will be marking on their calendars. Sanfrecce Hiroshima arrive in absolute freefall, having lost four consecutive matches. A dreadful Form rating reflects an away side bereft of confidence and defensive solidity. The hosts, V-varen Nagasaki, sit just one point behind them in eighth place, but their own patchy record of three defeats in five outings hardly inspires belief. With early-season Stakes registering as minimal, and an absence of genuine Stars to grab the headlines, our take is that this will be a fragmented, attritional 90 minutes rather than a showcase of technical brilliance.
Key Battle
With both sides struggling to find individual match-winners, this fixture will be decided by unit cohesion. The critical conflict will pit V-varen Nagasaki's attacking framework against a highly vulnerable Sanfrecce Hiroshima backline. If the visitors' defensive unit remains as disjointed as it has been in recent weeks, the home side's forwards will eventually break them down through sheer persistence.
Our Prediction
Expect V-varen Nagasaki to edge a scrappy 1-0 victory. Neither team possesses the attacking fluency to blow the other away, but Hiroshima's catastrophic recent losing streak suggests deep structural flaws that Nagasaki can exploit to force a narrow, ugly winner.