The knockout stage of ACL2 was a series of thrilling battles.
Although Gamba had a tough time at home against the prestigious Korean club Pohang, their first hurdle, they managed to grab a spot in the top eight.
However, the battle for the top spot continues. In the quarterfinals at Suita City Football Stadium, they will face Ratchaburi, Thailand, who they also faced in the group stage.

In the match against Pohang, Gamba showed the usual strategy for advancing in a cup competition, drawing away from home and winning at home, but what is required in the quarterfinals is to absolutely win the first game at home.

The knockout stage will be decided after a total of two matches, but Gamba's determination is clear.
"The next game in front of us is the most important thing. We have to always give 100%," said Head Coach, while MESHINO , who scored his long-awaited first goal of the season against Shimizu, emphasized, "It's important to score in a home game and to have the mindset of winning the game in front of us."

While Gamba's style this season has been to go all out no matter who the opponent is, there are also lessons they want to learn. In the second leg of the ACL2 Round of 16 against Pohang and the 4th Sec. match of the Meiji Yasuda J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE against Shimizu, Gamba had issues with their decisiveness after taking a two-goal lead, but Miura said, "We want to aim for more goals and learn how to finish the game as a lesson to use next time."
This season, Gamba is not only fast up the field, but also moves the ball around to attack opponents, and they are sure to have scoring opportunities. Whether it's from the flow of the game or a set piece, they want to take the initiative and dampen Ratchaburi's fighting spirit. "We want to show our fans our true style of football and go for the win," said Head Coach Vissing, who is focused solely on victory.

Meanwhile, Ratchaburi advanced to the round of 16 after defeating Indonesia's Persib 3-1 on aggregate.
Gamba kept a clean sheet in both group stage victories, but Handa expressed caution, saying, "I think they'll be a completely different team from the group stage, so we need to change our mindset." Indeed, Ratchaburi has acquired several new players for the knockout stage. They've added formidable players to their front line, including attacker Garcia de Oliveira Gleyson , who played for Okayama and Oita, and Thailand national team winger JAROENSAK WONGGORN , who briefly played for Cerezo Osaka last season. However, Handa has also taken in the information. "I've heard that a speedy dribbler has been added to my side, and that the fullbacks have been changed. I've taken some of the good and bad points of those players into account," he said. He hopes to demonstrate solid defensive play as a team, including countering Negeba, a former U-20 Brazil national team player.

"It's our home ground, so we need to play well and get a good score to move on to the 2nd Leg," (MESHINO). With the support of their fans, Gamba will be looking to win again.