Newcastle Jets vs Gamba Osaka — Tips & Analysis

Gamba Osaka -0.5: Match fitness shapes games like this one. The Jets have not played a competitive game in 28 days, and their last one was a 1-7 beating at Kashima. Gamba have had four days since their last game and are in the middle of their J1 season. That gap in rhythm is the main reason we are on the away side. Gamba sit second in the East region after a 4-1 home win over Cong An Nhan Dan. They have won 7 of their last 17 games and are a level above the Jets with the ball. Newcastle are 16th with a goal difference of -6. Their home record of five wins, two ties and one loss reads well. It comes from an A-League season that finished in May, so it says little about this squad now. Gamba are not in great form either. They lost 2-0 at Kashima at the weekend and were shut out in four of their last seven league games. A 1-2 Gamba win is the likeliest score, and a narrow away win is just what we want. The risks are plain. Gamba have won only three of their last nine away games and let in 2 goals a game on the road. A month of rest could also leave the Jets the fresher side. We still think the better team takes this.