For two of the players involved, this isn’t just another game, as it’ll be a clash of two Japanese players, namely Takuma Asano and Takefusa Kubo.
Asano just joined RCD Mallorca in the summer and has participated in all of his new club’s matches so far. In fact, he is the attacking player with the second-most minutes in the squad, only behind Vedat Muriqi.
Kubo, meanwhile, is in his third season at Real Sociedad and has already scored one goal in 2024/25. He is now one of the stars of Real Sociedad and of LALIGA, especially after he produced seven goals and four assists in 30 matches last term.
For Kubo, this game against RCD Mallorca will be significant for two reasons. Not only is he able to enjoy a reunion with a Japan teammate, but he is also returning to the island club where he played in two different stints, in the 2019/20 and the 2020/21 seasons.
Asano is the fourth Japanese player in RCD Mallorca’s history, after Yoshito Ōkubo, Aki Ieneaga and Kubo himself. There is a clear connection between Japan and RCD Mallorca and the club even presented its home kit in Tokyo last season, with its principal global sponsor being Alpha Gel by Taica Corporation, the Japanese multinational.
Similarly, Real Sociedad is a club which is also increasing its presence in the Asian country. Kubo’s arrival at the club led to increased interest in the club from this market, so the club took advantage of this in a commercial sense by reaching an agreement with Yasuda Group to become its main strategic partner.
Both of these players have played for Japan on many occasions, coinciding on the pitch on eight occasions. In fact, Asano once scored a goal against Germany following an assist from Kubo, in what was a 4-1 win. After arriving in Mallorca, Asano revealed: “Take told me to write to him if I needed anything.”
This Asano vs Kubo match-up should be a fun and a thrilling one, a game that will captivate all LALIGA fans but especially those interested in this Japanese connection.