Kashima Antlers face Nagoya Grampus in J1 League second round

Kashima Antlers faced Nagoya Grampus in the second round of the J1 League. Ahead of the match, Kashima players wore number 2 shirts during warm-ups to show solidarity with defender Koki Anzai, who is sidelined with a long-term ACL injury.

Kashima entered the match seeking a second consecutive victory following a 4-3 comeback win against Yokohama F. Marinos in the opening round. Key players for Kashima included striker Leo Ceara and Yuma Suzuki. Nagoya Grampus, looking for their first win after a loss to Shimizu S-Pulse, fielded a lineup featuring Yuya Yamagishi and Yudai Kimura.

Nagoya's preparations were also impacted by the injury status of goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt, leaving the team's defensive stability in question.