Gamba Osaka and Sanfrecce Hiroshima played out a goalless draw in the J.League, with neither defence giving way. Sanfrecce had the better of the play, enjoying 54% possession and 17 shots to Gamba's 10, but the score remained 0-0.
There were no goals, but plenty of early bookings: Hayao Kawabe and Issam Jebali were cautioned inside the first ten minutes, and Yotaro Nakajima followed in the 36th. The match's turning point came in the 87th minute when Takeru Kishimoto was sent off, leaving Gamba Osaka with ten men for the closing stages.
Despite Sanfrecce's dominance in chances and territory, they managed only four shots on target. Gamba Osaka's goalkeeper made four saves to keep the clean sheet, while their own side could muster just three attempts on target in a game that finished goalless.
