Grampus lined up in a 3-2-2-2-1 to counter Urawa’s 3-2-3-2 line-up, which was an interesting tactic from home coach Stoijkovic, but it didn’t pay off as Marcio Richardes opened the scoring in the 23rd minute from 18 yards after a run across the top of the area was not closed down in some slack defending. Four minutes later Tulio headed down a cross and Kanazaki was there to flick it over the keeper to make it 1-1 at the break.
Reds won the game in the 68th minute on a Marcio Richardes PK after Hayuma Tanaka handled the ball – and got his second yellow card in the process – replays clearly showed the hand to ball and a deserved PK. Tulio almost pulled a point back with minutes to go but the keeper made a desperate one-handed save at his left post and Reds rebounded from their Saitama Derby defeat last week.