In the match against Fukuoka, the foundation that Gamba has built up over the past two seasons led to three points. They returned to their roots, last season's style of defending compactly, without being overly concerned with taking the ball up front, as they have been aiming for this season. They are by no means giving up on this season's direction, but after a realistic battle, they managed to grab their first win of the season.
Veteran Kurata showed a strong presence, and JEBALI, who kept putting his body on the line at the front line, also played well. It was a victory that was achieved by the unity of veterans and young players, but Gamba's goal is to survive the first consecutive games of the season.

"The J.League is a very competitive league. It's important to get off to a good start in the season," said Head Coach Poyatos, who plans to prioritize winning the three points in the match against Okayama.
With consecutive matches with only three days between them, and an away game against Tokyo Verdy four days later, the schedule is very busy, so Head Coach Poyatos said, "With the Tokyo Verdy match on the weekend, we will need to rotate players in order to maintain the intensity."

There is a common understanding that whoever players are deployed will be the key to victory. "Okayama has strong players up front, and they are surrounded by players with agility and those who can demonstrate technique at key times," said Ichimori.
The front line features the physically strong Lucao, while the second line features former Japan national team player Esaka, who joined the team this season. Okayama has a simple but powerful style, so coach Poyatos expressed his concern, saying, "They are a really intense team with high playing intensity, and they are growing by making full use of their physical strength, especially Head Coach Lucao."

However, Gamba is also determined to take on the intensity challenge head-on.
Minamino, who entered the pitch in the second half of the Fukuoka match, raised expectations with his powerful play, but he had already experienced Okayama's style and the pitch last season when he was on loan to Tochigi. "Okayama is a fighting team, and if we don't compete and win in that area, it will be difficult for them. When I play in the match, I want to surpass them in terms of fighting and quality," he said, full of enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Okayama, who was promoted to J1 for the first time in the club's history, won a historic 2-0 victory over Kyoto in their opening home match, but tickets for the weekday night game were sold out. Having lost 0-1 to Yokohama FC in the previous round, they will be looking to host Gamba at home with a winning streak in mind.
Okayama's Head Coach, Kiyama, is a former Gamba player and also served as a coach in the 2020 season. He is known for his ability to play a solid game based on solid defense, but what Gamba should be wary of is the powerful attackers at the front. In the previous match, former Gamba player Kazumi came on as a substitute and created a scoring opportunity that hit the crossbar, but there will surely be times when they will be forced to take measures against long balls and power plays.
In the match against Fukuoka, Gamba showed the option of using a five-man back line by bringing on Egawa and Sasaki towards the end of the match, but "how we all play against Okayama with a common understanding will be key," said Head Coach Poyatos.
After putting up an all-out victory over a newly promoted team that should not be underestimated, it's time for Gamba to accelerate even further.