JENS WISSING, Head Coach : "Kobe is currently leading the league, and they haven't changed in a good way since our last encounter. They've been getting good results, so it will be a tough match for us, but I'm really looking forward to it. I think the key to this match will be how well we can neutralize their strengths and prevent them from showing them. Their strengths are their speed and accuracy in attack, and their ability to finish, so it will be about neutralizing those strengths and keeping them as far away from our goal as possible. And then it will be about how well we can showcase our own strengths. In every match, we always create our own periods and good opportunities, so I think it will come down to whether we can convert those chances into goals. We want to fight hard against Kobe as well."

FW7 Takashi USAMI: "Gamba Osaka can play really good football when we have the time in our favor, but the problem is that we can't score during those times, and even when our momentum and quality are in sync, it doesn't translate into results in the form of numbers. However, when we're playing well, we're playing really good football, and we're able to properly express what Head Coach Jens wants to do, so if we can score goals when we're playing well and be patient when we need to and keep a clean sheet, I think the content and results will follow. Kobe has a new Head Coach, but I don't get the impression that the style of football they play has changed that much, so we want to fight hard and win within the 90 minutes."

MF13 Shuto ABE: "We have matches against top teams coming up, and if we beat Kobe, we still have a chance to win the championship, so I think the match against Kobe will be a really important one. Kobe has a lot of good players, many players who are good with their feet, and they have a strong three-man attack, so it will be important not to let them get the ball in. When we played them last time, Osako and Muto weren't there, so if they come out this time, it will be more dangerous than last time, but I think I have to do my best and win in 90 minutes. In order to score as a team, it's important for us defensive midfielders to push up as well as the forwards, so I want to play in a way that is definitely involved in scoring goals."