Newcastle Jets vs Gamba Osaka Preview
Newcastle Jets were thrashed 7-1 in their AFC Champions League Elite opener and another defeat at the hands of a J-League side is predicted. Gamba are value to win with a chance taken on a win to nil too.
- Jets have failed to win 7 of their last 8 games in all comps
- Jets lost 7-1 vs Kashima in their ACL opener
- Gamba beat Cong An Ha Noi 4-1 in their ACL opener
- 6 of Gamba's last 8 wins in all comps have been to nil
- Takashi Usami scored a brace vs Cong An Ha Noi on Matchday 1
Head To Head
This will be the first meeting between the two clubs. A-League teams have only won two out of 20 games vs J-League teams over the last 10 years, with Japanese sides prevailing 13 times alongside five draws.
Newcastle Jets Form
It was an incredible season in 2025/26 for the Jets as they won the Australia Cup and took out the A-League minor premiership.
However, the Jets' form tipped at the backend of the campaign as they were eliminated in the finals by Sydney FC on penalties.
As is the case, Newcastle lost the bulk of their key players from last season and they've struggled to reproduce their level from last term, going down 3-2 to Preston Lions in the Australia Cup R32 before that 7-1 hammering away to Kashima to launch their Champions League campaign.
The Jets were down 5-0 before the break, with Patrick Wood scoring his first goal for the Jets in the 79th minute.
It's the start of a busy period for Mark Milligan's side, who are set to play seven games in 25 days as the new A-League season gets underway this weekend.
Gamba Osaka Form
Gamba qualified for the AFC Champion League Elite with a 1-0 victory over Gangwon in the playoffs and backed it up with a brilliant 4-1 dispatch of Vietnamese side Cong An Ha Noi on Matchday 1.
Takasi Usami scored a brace and Ryoya Yamashita registered a hat-trick of assists in the thumping opening victory.
However, wins like that have been hard to come by domestically, with Gamba managing just one victory in their opening nine games of the J-League season, languishing down in 18th position on the ladder.
Tomokazu Myojin's side were knocked out of the Japanese League Cup 5-4 by Kashiwa before a most-recent 2-0 loss in the league to Kashima.