Since the appointment of Head Coach Vissing, Gamba has gradually begun to show off a new style, and they are taking on their first big match in the ACL2 stage. The German coach said, "We are always aiming to win, and we are playing with the mindset that it is the final."

Their opponent was the prestigious Korean club Pohang, with whom they had drawn 1-1 away a week earlier. After conceding their only goal of the season in the second half, they were forced to play defensively for a long period of time, but the players knew that there were no easy away games in the knockout stage.

Having fulfilled the minimum obligations in a match that required management throughout the entire 180 minutes, Gamba returned home, but their only goal at Suita City Football Stadium was victory. A win in 90 minutes would secure a spot in the quarterfinals, but as the away goals rule is not used, a draw will see extra time, and if no decision is made there, the match will go to a penalty shootout. "When we played away, it wasn't our home ground and the turf was different to usual, so we struggled a bit, but next time it's our home ground. I think we have the advantage, so we want to dominate the opponent for the full 90 minutes and win," Abe said, vowing to decide the match in 90 minutes.

Although they have only managed to find the back of the net once in three official matches, as can be seen from the "phantom goal" scored against Nagoya, their coordinated attacks, which are aimed forward, have shown a certain level of functionality. "Even if we concede the first goal, the current Gamba team has the power to bounce back and turn the game around," Abe said confidently, but the first priority is to avoid conceding careless goals. Higashiguchi, who has shown consistent play in three consecutive official matches, also stressed, "It's important to score first, but I want the defense to keep a clean sheet so we can wait for that to happen."

The match against Pohang will be one that will test the team's overall strength, but Head Coach Vissing emphasized, "We have many great players on this team," while Nakatani, who will be leading the defensive line, also expressed his trust in his teammates, saying, "I've worked with a variety of players, so there won't be any problems."

In the away game, Gamba created chances in the first half, including a clear chance by Humet, but Vissing also expressed his confidence in his attacking line, saying, "At our home ground, we want to create more chances in front of the goal and score Head Coach. That's what we want to focus on."

Pohang's strengths are of course to be wary, as they not only kick long balls but also move the ball well, led by anchor KI SUNGYUENG, a former South Korean national team player who has played in three World Cups. However, Head Coach said, "No matter who the opponent is, we are focused on what we have to do."
Pohang will be taking on this match with a one-week break before the K-League kicks off at the end of February. While it will be essential to contain Brazilian attackers JORGE LUIZ BARBOSA TEIXEIRA and PAULO AFONSO ROCHA JUNIOR in the front line, their only mission against Pohang is to outscore their opponents by one point over the 90 minutes.

"We just need to win," said Abe. It's a simple but not easy mission that Gamba will accomplish together with their supporters.