Analysis The numbers behind the result
Vissel Kobe edge Kashima despite lower shot volume
Vissel Kobe's 2-1 victory was hard-fought but justified by their superior efficiency in front of goal, converting two of just nine total shots compared to Kashima's wasteful return from twelve attempts. The hosts managed just three shots on target from an xG of 1.78 (penalty included), while Kashima registered only two on target from 2.31 xG – Aleksandar Čavrić's 73rd-minute equaliser proving their solitary clinical moment.
Despite Kashima's marginally higher xG and shot count (12v9), Vissel Kobe made their 52% possession count by drawing two yellow cards before half-time, culminating in Yuya Osako's 56th-minute penalty. Čavrić's reply sparked a frantic period before Tetsushi Yamakawa's 77th-minute winner, assisted by Diego Jara Rodrigues, capitalised on Kashima's defensive disorganisation post-substitutions. The visitors' three yellow cards, all before the hour mark, disrupted their rhythm.
The decisive stat: Kashima's nine shots off target – including five wayward efforts from inside the box – cost them dearly in a match settled by fine margins.