After a two-week break, Gamba returns to the battlefield.
Although Gamba lost the previous match against Shonan, they are still five points behind the leader Machida, so their mission at home will be to accumulate three points in each game.
"We have seven more home games this season, and if we can win those, I think we'll be one step closer to winning the championship. We want to play with the intention of getting three points at home," Yamashita said emphatically. There's no change to their stance of focusing on the battle at hand, but to continue competing at the top of the table, it's essential that they continue to show that Gamba can win at home. After finishing Pre-season Match against Real Sociedad, the match against FC Tokyo will be an opportunity for them to not only refresh their minds and bodies, but also show the results of the tactical improvements they have made.

This week, ace player Usami will be suspended due to accumulated warnings. Also absent will be Handa, who was injured while playing for the Japan U-23 national team just before the start of the Paris Olympics. "The way we play as a team will not change, but the characteristics of the players who play in the match will be different. We want to make use of those characteristics and build on what we are trying to do now," said Kurokawa.
Gamba's greatest strength this season has been their fast vertical attacks, making use of WELTON and Yamashita on the wings, but what they will need going into the second half of the season is a more effective way of maintaining possession of the ball.
Head Coach Poyatos revealed that he "focused on improving the relationship between the full-backs and the wide players" during the break, but he will simply take on FC Tokyo, who are aggressive in trying to steal the ball.

Fukuoka also commented, "We want to have possession of the ball to get through the summer, but during this break we've been working on not just holding the ball but also holding it in a way that allows us to finish."
Although Usami, who not only plays a decisive role but also serves as a ball carrier, is absent, JEBALI, who acts as a starting point at the front line, and Sakamoto, who shows skillful movement between the lines, are also maintaining their good form.
"FC Tokyo is a team that comes at you from the front with a high press, which creates space behind you," said JEBALI, who intends to lead the attack both as a starting point and a finisher.

Meanwhile, FC Tokyo is currently in 7th place. They have won 1 and lost 3 of their last 4 games, but they will come to Panasonic Stadium Suita with a burning desire for revenge to get revenge after losing to Gamba at home. "FC Tokyo is a strong team with good players. The opposing Head Coach always makes the game difficult for me," said Head Coach Poyatos, expressing his concern. Araki, a member of the U-23 FC Tokyo team who participated in the Paris Olympics, has scored the most goals for the team with 6, and is a player to be wary of along with Diego Queiroz De Oliveira(DIEGO OLIVEIRA), who has scored 5 goals, but there are other attackers to be wary of, such as Tawara Tsumita.
"One of the key points will be how to deal with the opponent's counterattack," said Fukuoka, but former Gamba player Taka, who was appointed as one of the new captains at the end of July, should also be fired up to hunt for the ball. Careless losses will be a big no-no.
Although Usami was absent, Gamba restarted with a victory thanks to the support of their home fans.