Shonan Bellmare vs Jubilo Iwata

Lemon Gas Stadium is the venue as Shonan Bellmare and Jubilo Iwata go head-to-head in the first leg of their YBC Levain Cup last-16 tie. 

Despite sitting previously close to the J1 League relegation zone, Shonan could bring home the Levain Cup title for the first time since 2018. They squeezed past FC Tokyo 1-0 in the previous round to set up this tie, yet back-to-back winless league games afterward don’t make it for good reading (D1, L1). That win remains their only success in the last six competitive home outings (D2, L3), suggesting the comforts of their Lemon Gas Stadium could mean nothing in this first-leg clash. However, Shonan demolished Iwata 5-0 in their last meeting on this ground in July 2024 to snap a dismal three-match losing H2H streak. Worryingly, two of those three defeats saw them fail to score, which has been the case in four of their last six home games.

Meanwhile, Jubilo Iwata fought back from a halftime deficit to beat Gamba Osaka 2-1 after extra-time in the previous Levain Cup round, maintaining their dream of hoisting this trophy for the first time since 2010. That win forms part of their seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W4, D3), but it’s worth noting that their last three outings ended all square in regulation time. The most recent was a 2-2 draw at Omiya Ardija, which left them five points off the top-two pace in the J2 League, compromising their chances of securing an immediate top-flight return. If it’s any consolation, they’ve at least avoided defeat on a fourth consecutive road trip (W1, D3).