[Preview] The match against Kyoto will be a springboard for a comeback. Without fearing the opponent’s press, they will attack the Kyoto goal effectively.｜ GAMBA OSAKA Official Site

In the previous match against FC Tokyo, Gamba was aiming to win away games, which had been an issue for them, but they missed a chance to take the lead, conceding a painful goal in the 86th minute, and then conceding two more after that, losing 0-3. “It’s away ground, and it’s difficult compared to playing at home, but it’s important that we make sure to take advantage of our chances,” said Head Coach Poyatos, emphasizing the importance of the goals they missed during periods when they were dominating the game.

Without Ravi, who is the central player in ball possession in the midfield, they shared a common understanding and pushed FC Tokyo, but unfortunately conceded a goal on the counter attack, which they should have been wary of. “We were in good form, but we couldn’t finish scoring. From there, the opponent took advantage of the gap and we were defeated. We need to continue attacking, but on defense we need to make sure we don’t concede goals like we did with the opening goal in the previous match,” said Suzuki, who is hoping to learn from the previous defeat.

Gamba has had a tough time under Poyatos in the past two seasons, but with the team facing off against the opposition, they are already looking ahead to the next match.
The match against Kyoto will test both the accuracy of their attacks in front of the opponent’s goal and the durability of their defense.
Usami is wary of Kyoto’s style of using the front line simply, saying, “We will struggle a lot if we fight on the same playing field.” Gamba will aim to keep possession of the ball against Kyoto, who are fast vertically. However, as Suzuki said, “Using one attack from the back against an opponent who is playing hard from the front may be a tactic that the opponent dislikes,” so against Kyoto, who are aiming for short counterattacks, simple attacks should be effective.
On the other hand, there are some playing fields that are unavoidable when defeating Kyoto. “First of all, we have to fight against the opponent’s aggressiveness and intensity. It’s the opponent’s playing field, but we want to win it” (Suzuki).
Kyoto is pressing man-to-man, but if they can win local battles or get past their opponents, they will gain an advantage. Gamba is also strong and will just fight.

Meanwhile, Kyoto will be heading to Panasonic Stadium Suita in the top spot for the first time in the club’s history, albeit provisionally. Since returning to J1 under Head Coach Cao in the 2022 season, they have had an even record in league matches with one win, one loss and four draws, so it goes without saying that they are a formidable opponent for Gamba, but they will need to be especially wary of Kyoto this season. “The quality of their front line is high, and they are in sync as a team, which is why they are getting the results they are,” Suzuki said, wary of Kyoto’s strength, but it goes without saying that the player they need to be most wary of is Elias Da Silva Bataglia Rafael(RAFAEL ELIAS), who leads the attack with eight goals and four assists.

However, with strong individual attackers such as Hara and Okugawa, who joined this season, and players capable of working hard on both offense and defense in the midfield such as Kawasaki, who represented Japan at the Paris Olympics, the team cannot afford to show even a moment of weakness.

Kyoto will be a tough opponent, with their high intensity and quality up front, but that is why a victory for Gamba will undoubtedly give them momentum towards a comeback.

“I want to change their momentum together with my players,” said Head Coach Poyatos. With supporters who believe in Gamba’s victory, Gamba will use the match against Kyoto as a chance to launch a counterattack.