Gamba came into this game on the back of a well-deserved victory at Albirex Niigata last weekend, looking for a second straight win to ease their troubles at the bottom of the J1 table. They went down to an early goal but then fought back for a victory that was never in doubt once the lead had been gained.

The opening stages were a midfield battle with little between the teams but Gamba in no real danger of conceding... and then they did. From a corner, their defence left Yuya Yamagishi wide open to head home and give the home team a 1-0 lead. This did, however seem to push Gamba into action and they were soon ahead.

Gamba's equaliser came as Masaaki Higashiguchi sent a pinpoint long ball to the chest of Issam Jebali just inside the opposition half. he slipped the ball aside Yuki Yamamoto to on the right, who exchanged passes with Neta Lavi, before threading the ball through to Shu Kurata. Kurata's deft touch set Jebali free in the right channel and his cross was palmed out by the 'keeper, but only into the path of Juan Alano, who finished a flowing move with a first-time shot, 1-1, 24 minutes gone.

Eight minutes later Gamba were ahead, a deep right wing free kick taken at the far post by Dawhan, the Brazilian heading back to the feet of Genta Miura, who finished like an in-form forward, with a deft left-foot volley, and Gamba were 2-1 ahead. And so it stayed until the break.

Gamba did not sit back as the 2nd half began and five minutes into the second period Jebali danced through the defence before finally seeing the ball half-cleared, it falling to Shota Fukuoka to blast just over from outside the area. Minutes later Jebali was in the thick of things again, this time a Kurata shot blocked by the 'keeper and then the Tunisian's follow-up also saved by the busy man in goal, as the ball was scrambled out for a corner.

Yamagishi then came close to doubling his tally after a fortunate bounce off a defender saw him clear in sight of goal, but Higashiguchi narrowed the angle and the forward slipped the ball wide of the mark. Gamba continued to look for more goals, as opposed to sitting on their lead and Jebali stung the 'keeper's fingers in the 71st minute with a fierce drive from the edge of the area.

Avispa did not lie down , though, and Yamagishi again was denied by Tota Sato's foot, although Higashiguchi was in behind him to make the stop if the defender had failed to connect. Gamba fans will have been happy to see Yosuke Ideguchi on the field - all be it against them - and he saw first a half-volley, and then a volley from a cleared corner - fly over the bar, as he tried to put one over on his former team.

but it was Gamba Osaka's day - again - as they made it two away wins in succession, the six points won taking them clear of the bottom spot and up to 25th in the table. With FC Tokyo - now just three places above them - visiting Gamba next weekend, the home team must be confident of a three-win run.

Team - Higashiguchi, Handa, Miura, Sato, Fukuoka, Lavi, Y.Yamamoto (Kurokawa, 75'), Dawhan, Juan Alano (Ishige, 66'), Jebali (Usami, 85'), Kurata (Fukuda, 66')

SCORERS:
Juan ALANO 24'
Genta MIURA 32'