Despite taking the initiative against a recovering Kyoto, Gamba could not win. However, even after Nakatani's equalizer, Gamba continued to press Kyoto, showing their determination to win, which will surely lead to the next stage.
"We outplayed the in-form Kyoto in terms of game content, and I think this one point will give us confidence and momentum," said Usami, who repeatedly created scoring chances.
Gamba has not won in seven league games, but with one game left, they are 10 points behind Hiroshima, who are in the lead. With the league in a close race, there is still room for a comeback.
"We have not won in seven games. We are doing our best to somehow break the situation." As Nakatani, who showed a heroic performance on both offense and defense in the previous round, said, the players are looking forward to breaking this stalemate.

The defense, which still boasts the second-fewest goals conceded in the league, has not had any major collapses, so what will be necessary in the match against Tokyo Verdy is to carry out the mission of breaking open the opponent's goal.
Tokyo Verdy, a newly promoted team, has risen to sixth place and is currently on a four-game winning streak for the first time in 21 years in J1, and will be heading to Panasonic Stadium Suita in good form.
Although the away game ended in a 0-0 draw, Fukuoka is wary of Tokyo Verdy, saying, "They have changed their formation and are fighting tenaciously."
Tokyo Verdy's current style is to use a three-back formation and switch to a 5-4-1 formation in their own half when defending, fortifying their own half. Of course, it's not easy to break down an opponent that is based on their intensity around the ball and quick switching, but "how you move the ball, including long passes, is important. Even though the opponent's back line is five players, the pitch is wide so there is space somewhere," says Head Coach Poyatos.

Side attacks are important, but the depth of attack in front of the goal is also essential. "The opponents will stick close to their goal and defend, so the question is how to break down their five-man defense. If we all keep the momentum going we can score, and the way we're putting the players in attack now is improving," Suzuki said confidently.
Goals are absolutely essential to securing victory, but rushing the attack is a no-no. Tokyo Verdy is riding high on momentum thanks to their young players, so Usami is wary of the start of the game and accidentally conceding goals, saying, "We want to play well to stop the opponents from gaining momentum."

Tokyo Verdy will be playing at Panasonic Stadium Suita for the first time, and a win against Gamba could see them rise to 5th place or higher in the standings, so they will be highly motivated. Yamami, who has led the attack with 7 goals and 3 assists, will not be able to play due to a loan transfer from Gamba, but Kimura, who has 10 goals, Someno, who has 6 goals, and Fuki YAMADA, who also played in the Paris Olympics, have scored goals in two consecutive games, so the team has a strong lineup of attackers to be reckoned with.
"If we win, we'll feel relieved, and that's the most important thing right now," said Suzuki, speaking about the significance of the three points.
Gamba, together with their supporters, are simply striving for their first win in eight games.