HIROSHIMA (Interstat) — Sanfrecce Hiroshima scored three second-half goals and beat Kyoto on Saturday, turning a scoreless first half into a decisive home victory. Daiki Suga broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, Akito Suzuki doubled the advantage in the 78th, and Matsuki Kato added the third in the 82nd. Kyoto could not answer and finished with no goals. Hiroshima’s victory came after a measured opening period in which the hosts probed without finding a breakthrough, then pulled away once Suga opened the scoring early in the second half.

Suzuki was the game’s central figure, finishing with one goal and one assist. Suga scored during a 64-minute shift before being substituted. Kato made the most of a 27-minute appearance and scored the final goal. Shunki Higashi recorded an assist, and Takuma Asano also supplied an assist during a 17-minute appearance. Hiroshima’s attack found another gear after halftime, with Suga’s opener setting the tone and Suzuki and Kato providing the finishing touches. The combination of Suzuki’s goal and assist made him the most influential performer in the match, while Suga and Kato delivered the other goals. Suzuki’s assist underlined his involvement in the decisive attacking moments.

The match had disciplinary moments on both sides. Kyoto’s Sato K. was shown a yellow card in the 31st minute. Hiroshima’s Haller S. was booked in the 67th minute. Kyoto made two substitutions in the 55th minute, and Hiroshima followed with two changes in the 63rd minute when Ayukawa S. and Nakajima Y. entered. Suga came off in the 64th minute after his goal. Kyoto made further substitutions in the 72nd and 80th minutes, while Hiroshima replaced Haller in the 73rd and Suzuki in the 86th. Those changes did not alter the flow of the match, as Hiroshima maintained its lead and Kyoto could not find a goal.

Kyoto’s competition record is now 0 wins and 2 losses. Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s competition record is now 2 wins and 0 losses. Across all competitions, Kyoto is 1 win and 2 losses, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima is 5 wins and 0 losses. Hiroshima stayed perfect in the competition and maintained its unbeaten run across all competitions, while Kyoto remained without a win in this competition. The clean sheet added to Hiroshima’s strong defensive record in the current campaign.

Hiroshima entered the match after a 1-0 win at Yamaga, a 2-0 win at Verdy, a 4-0 home win over Iwaki and a 2-0 win at Tochigi City. Kyoto had beaten Ratchaburi 1-0 at home before losing 1-0 at Machida. Those recent results gave Kyoto some positive momentum, but the visitors could not build on it against a Hiroshima side that has been difficult to break down. Hiroshima’s recent run included four wins without conceding, a run that continued with another shutout on Saturday.

The key passage came at the start of the second half. Suga’s 48th-minute goal broke the deadlock and changed the shape of the contest, forcing Kyoto to chase the game. Hiroshima managed that response well and added a second through Suzuki in the 78th. Kato then sealed the result in the 82nd, four minutes after Suzuki’s goal. The late goals rewarded Hiroshima’s control and prevented Kyoto from mounting a comeback. Kyoto’s earlier booking for Sato and Hiroshima’s yellow card for Haller were the main interruptions around the scoring.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final score. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Sanfrecce Hiroshima with a 76.3 percent probability to win. The projections had suggested a close match, but Hiroshima’s second-half surge delivered a wider margin. Hiroshima’s actual performance produced a clean sheet and a three-goal victory, exceeding the simulator’s projection. The result left Hiroshima with a perfect competition record and Kyoto still searching for its first points in the competition.