Gamba suffered a bitter defeat away to Kyoto. After two clean sheets in the first two games after the break, their defense had a tough time conceding three goals, but the next match is coming up.
"We made sure that we would never let something like what happened in the Kyoto match happen again," said Poyatos. The Osaka Head Coach is a stage where Gamba must win, regardless of whether they are in good form or in a difficult streak.
"Next up is the derby. I want to show the same intensity and play as if the match against Kyoto was a lie," said Abe, expressing his strong determination ahead of his first derby with Gamba.

In the derby, which began in 1995, Gamba still holds the advantage in league matches with 24 wins, 7 draws, and 18 losses, but has only won one of the last 10 games. They also suffered a bitter defeat at home in the opening game of this season, and the humiliation is still etched in the hearts of not only the supporters but also the players.
Nakatani said, "The opening game was humiliating for us, so we want to somehow change the flow in this derby, and I feel that if we win, that will happen. We want to fight with everything on the line."
Unlike the days of continued dominance in the past, recent derbies have seen many close matches, so what is essential is a determination to win, more so than tactics.
Of course, Head Coach Poyatos also incorporates strategies that take into account the opponent onto the pitch, but he emphasized that "from the start of the game, every moment that happens must be treated as if it were the last action."
Since the outcome of the game depends on the accumulation of all aspects that begin at the kickoff, we want to learn from our mistakes in the Kyoto match, where we conceded a goal from a throw-in.
While it would be ideal to keep possession of the ball and push the opponent to break the goal, in the derby it is also necessary to fight realistically in order to get the three absolutely necessary points. In the opening game, Gamba was able to slip through the high press and carry the ball, so "This season, as in the opening game, we often try to press from the front, but are evaded and end up falling behind. If that's the case, we should just wait and do it" (Nakatani).

Rather than forming a block deep in their own half, they want to steal the ball with a unified defense with a goal and launch a sharp attack. Yamashita, who will be the flagship of the counter attack, said, "In the opening game, the ball was passed between us a lot, so we want to tighten up the middle while letting them have the ball when necessary." He wants to turn good defense into sharp offense.

Since May, Gamba have had six wins, two draws and one loss in their league matches, but the Brazilian attacker up front who is the third most scored in the league is particularly worrisome. Of course, Rafael Rogerio Da Silva(RAFAEL RATAO) has 10 goals, but Gamba should be most wary of right wing LUCAS FERNANDES, who has 14 assists and three goals.

Everyone at Gamba, including Abe and Mitsuda, who will be participating in the derby for the first time, is well aware of the importance of this match.
"We all know that three points is more important than anything else," (Yamashita). While savoring the history and weight of the derby that Gamba has built up, Gamba will show its true worth on enemy ground.