Gamba Osaka, who have been competing in the special Meiji Yasuda J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE and ACL2 simultaneously, have spent an intense six months with Head Coach Vissing.
They are trying a new style of play that involves quickly attacking the goal vertically, and in ACL2 they achieved their long-awaited 10th club title. While JEBALI, Hummett, Abe, and Nakatani are leading the attack and defense, young talent who will carry Gamba into the next generation is also steadily emerging.
In the regional league round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE, Minamino scored 7 goals, finally achieving his long-awaited breakthrough, while the young goalkeeper, Araki, continued to demonstrate his high potential in front of the goal.
In the playoff round, which will conclude such a fruitful half-season, Gamba will face Tokyo Verdy away from home.

"As always, we want to win this match, but I also think there will be opportunities for players who haven't had a chance to play so far," said Head Coach Vising, indicating his intention to use young talent in the 2nd Leg as well, following the 1-1 draw at home.
At home, academy graduate Yoshihara made his first professional start, and Tono also made his professional debut in the second half. Driven by a yearning to stand on the pitch, the players are burning with the desire to impress the manager and secure a victory for Gamba in the final match of the season.

One of them is Nakamura. "This is a chance to put into practice everything I've learned, so I want to give it my all." Although he hasn't had many opportunities to play, he has steadily grown under Head Coach Vissing, who demands intensity and hard work.
"First and foremost, I want to play in a way that doesn't leave any gaps in the team's defense, and in attack, I want to play good football while coordinating with those around me." The teamwork with Minamino and Yoshihara, with whom he played on the pitch in the youth league, will also be one of the highlights of the match against Tokyo Verdy.

On the other hand, it is Gamba's destiny to be obligated to win any match. Tokyo Verdy will naturally be fired up to secure a victory at home, but "Tokyo Verdy will come at us aggressively and with high intensity from the front. There is no point in hiding from such an opponent, so it is about how bravely we can challenge them and how much of what we have to offer" (Visching, Head Coach).

In the 1st Leg, Gamba struggled against the opponent's strong press, but they will want to remain unfazed by the opponent's press and show the vertical attacking mindset that Gamba has been emphasizing this season. Sasaki, who scored a crucial opening goal in his first match back, will be mindful of his characteristic vertical passes, but also wants to be flexible and adaptable, saying he wants to "watch the flow of the game and turn the tables" as he tries to be the starting point of attacks from the back.

At Tokyo Verdy, not only is Fukuda, who is making a big impact as a shadow striker, a threat, but Someya, who is the focal point of attacks at the forefront, is also an attacker that Gamba should be wary of. Sasaki is highly motivated, saying, "He can hold up the ball, so we want to contain him," but in any case, the key to victory will be a clash of hard work, and Gamba will need to come out on top.
With young talent who meet the standards that the manager demands, saying, "I want them to take to the pitch with a brave spirit and fight," Gamba will end their season on a high note.