🏏 Wed, 1 Apr 2026 19:00 JST
Vissel Kobe
vs
Shimizu S-pulse
Positions estimated (no formation data from the API)
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- The headline subplot sits on Kobe's bench: Takashi Inui returns to face Shimizu S-Pulse, one of his former clubs. The 37-year-old made more than 100 La Liga appearances across Eibar and Real Betis and scored a memorable goal against Senegal at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. His close control and invention have not faded, and if he is introduced he will run at a defence that knows exactly how dangerous he still is.
- The midfield offers an Aomori Yamada High School connection. Kobe's Yuta Goke, 26, came through that famous programme, captained Vegalta Sendai and was twice their top scorer as well as club player of the year, and now operates as an attacking midfielder. Shimizu counter with 22-year-old Zento Uno, a treble winner at the same school, nicknamed the ball hunter for his ferocious duel work and already capped by Japan at the E-1 Championship.
- Kobe's central pairing is a strong one. Takahiro Ogihara, 34 and 185cm, spreads play with a precise left foot and is a genuine set-piece threat, while Yosuke Ideguchi, once of Celtic, supplies the running power and interceptions beside him. The 29-year-old scored the goal against Australia in World Cup qualifying that sent Japan through, and his long-range shooting gives Shimizu another problem to solve.
- Shimizu lead their line with 193cm Oh Se-hun. The 27-year-old South Korean centre-forward, previously with Machida Zelvia and Ulsan Hyundai, dominates aerially, holds the ball up superbly and finishes cleanly with his left foot. Waiting for him is Kobe's Brazilian centre-back pairing: 186cm Matheus Thuler, a Flamengo academy graduate who trained alongside Vinicius Junior, and the left-footed Caetano, whose passing range starts attacks from deep.
- At the other end, Kobe's target man is Ren Komatsu. The 27-year-old is only 183cm but his leap makes him a serious aerial threat, and he arrived with a J3 Golden Boot and a high J2 scoring finish behind him, plus a fierce left-footed strike. Marking him are Park Seung-wook, a South Korea international who built his reputation at Pohang Steelers, and Jelani Leshaun Sumiyoshi, a converted forward named in the 2024 J2 Best XI.
- Both sides carry dangerous left feet on dead balls. Kobe's Katsuya Nagato, 31, won the league with Yokohama F. Marinos and collected the J.League Best Player award in back-to-back seasons; his crossing and long throw stretch defences from left-back. Shimizu answer with Hikaru Nakahara, a left-footed wide man who once settled a promotion play-off with a direct free kick for Tokyo Verdy, so one restart could tilt the balance.
- The wide duels should be lively. Capixaba, Shimizu's 170cm left-footed Brazilian winger, combines explosive dribbling with the defensive graft his coaches demand, and moved permanently to Shimizu after adapting to J1 at Cerezo Osaka. The 29-year-old runs at Kobe's Nanasei Iino, a quick right-back who loves the overlap, with Rikuto Hirose offering the positional intelligence of a full-back comfortable on either flank.
- Shimizu's chief creator is Kazuki Kozuka. The 31-year-old attacking midfielder has passed through Kawasaki Frontale, Albirex Niigata and Suwon Samsung Bluewings in South Korea, and can shift the tempo with either short combinations or a raking switch, while also scoring himself. Ahead of him, 22-year-old academy product Kanta Chiba brings the broader game he developed on loan at Fujieda MYFC and Tokushima Vortis.
- Kobe's bench is the deeper of the two. Yuya Osako, 35, who scored the winner against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup and spent years at Werder Bremen and FC Koln, is held in reserve, as is Jean Patric, a sprinter clocked at 37.8 km/h in the Emperor's Cup. Add Gotoku Sakai, the first Japanese player to captain a Bundesliga club, and the hosts can change the shape of the final half hour.
- Shimizu's changes lean young and energetic. Kenta Inoue, 23, learned his J1 trade at Yokohama F. Marinos and delivers accurate crosses at pace, while 19-year-old Yudai Shimamoto wore the No. 10 for Ozu High School and led them to a national title. Left-footed Masaki Yuba, who names N'Golo Kante and Kevin De Bruyne as his models, plus Niger international Houseini Badamassi, keep the midfield intensity high late on.