Aiming for a third consecutive league win, the team faced Okayama, but despite a fierce attack in the second half, they were unable to score a goal, resulting in a disappointing defeat.
However, the next match is just around the corner. Suzuki, who controls the game from the depths of midfield, spoke on behalf of the players: "We'll keep our frustration in mind, but we'll move on and focus on winning against Hiroshima."

The points lost in the Okayama match will never come back, but the lessons learned will surely serve as a lesson for Gamba. "Since we conceded an early lead against Okayama, I want to play against Hiroshima in the same way that we were tricked against Okayama," said Mitsuda.

Gamba will continue to face opponents who employ a five-back defense, but once they've taken the initiative, it's extremely difficult to break through a team that is determined to defend. Hiroshima were unbeaten against them last season, so they undoubtedly have a good record against them. However, with both new and old Japan national team players at key points, it's clear that even a moment's error will be unacceptable during the 90 minutes.

"Hiroshima will take advantage of even the slightest error, so we have to be careful,"Head Coach Poyatos, but for Gamba, who move the ball with courage, careless ball losses are a no-no. "We need to make sure we don't concede goals defensively, otherwise we'll end up like we did in the Okayama match. It's also important for everyone to defend," Usami said, speaking of the importance of scoring the opening goal.

In contrast to Hiroshima's fast, vertical style, Gamba aims to move the ball around and exploit open spaces, but "they like counterattacks and fast football, so if we try to match that, there are times when our strengths disappear. We want to beat them by mixing in time with possession of the ball while engaging in counterattacks," Suzuki said.

Goalkeeper GK, who represented Japan in the East Asian E-1 Football Championship, is currently on a good run of three consecutive shutouts in official matches, but Mitsuda, who was a classmate of Osako's at Sanfrecce Hiroshima Youth, is fired up to fight against his old friend, saying, "No matter how good the goalkeeper is, if you can shoot the GK properly, it will go in." And as Mitsuda knows the style of his former club inside and out, he emphasizes, "Hiroshima's attacks are fast and sharp vertically. The key is to be able to switch gears quickly the moment we lose the ball, and not lose the ball in the first place."
Gamba hopes to attack Hiroshima cleverly without rushing their attack, but they must also be wary of Germain, who was the top scorer at the East Asian E-1 Championship. He has four goals and two assists in Hiroshima's league matches this season, but he also uses aggressive pressing, so they need to be careful on both offense and defense.

The team is undefeated in the match against Hiroshima at EDION PEACE WING HIROSHIMA, with two wins and one draw, including last season's Pre-season Match. With Abe returning from suspension for this match, the team will have to show all their strength to defeat this tough opponent.
"If we don't play better than we did in the Okayama match, Hiroshima is ranked higher, so it won't be easy to win," (Abe). A win would undoubtedly give Gamba back their confidence and momentum, and they will take to the pitch seeking just three points.