Gamba suffered a painful defeat against Nagoya, missing out on a winning streak, but their next battle is just around the corner. The match against Hiroshima, which will be the culmination of 11 consecutive games fought by the entire team, is not only an opportunity to accumulate points in the Meiji Yasuda J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE WEST, but also a crucial match to build momentum heading into the ACL2 final, as Iketani said, "This will be our last match before ACL2, so we absolutely want to win to create some good momentum."
During the 11-game stretch, Head Coach Vising has maintained his unwavering stance, focusing on the immediate match while also utilizing younger players. "What we need to focus on is the match in front of us. The ACL2 final is after the match against Hiroshima, so we need to see how well we can prepare for that match," he said, maintaining his usual one-match-at-a-time approach.

However, amidst the 11 consecutive matches, young talent is gradually beginning to emerge at Gamba. In the previous match against Nagoya, Yamamoto was sent onto the pitch in place of Abe and worked hard on both offense and defense. In the second half, Nakamura made his second appearance of the season and delivered a good performance that led to MITO's goal. "Raising the level of young players is an important element for the club. I demand high quality, but I will field players who can show that on the pitch" (Visshing, Head Coach). With the ACL2 final in mind, the manager, who is particular about "preparation", intends to send out a team that will be able to win against Hiroshima.

No matter who is named in the starting lineup, Gamba's style of play will remain the same. Rookie Yamamoto will maintain his defensive awareness, and "in practice, his eye contact with the FW is improving. I want to show that in the match," so he should accelerate Gamba's attack with his characteristic vertical passes.
Iketani, who started at right back in the Nagoya match, is one of the players who has risen in the ranks of the backline, and he says, "I'm ready to play in any position. I wasn't in the squad for the away match against Hiroshima, so I really want to win this time," and he intends to show his growth.

On the other hand, Hiroshima lost to Kobe in a penalty shootout in the last match and have been winless in their last three games. However, they took 19 shots against Kobe and created many scoring opportunities, so Head Coach Vising said, "Hiroshima creates a lot of chances, just like us. They have dangerous players and play dangerously," and is wary of their attack. After the last match, they are in 6th place in the WEST, but the point difference with bottom-placed V-Varen Nagasaki is only 2. Statistically, a loss would send them to the bottom of the table, so they will undoubtedly face Gamba with a strong determination.
In the match against Kobe, no foreign players took to the pitch, but Kinoshita, Jermaine, and Suzuki each scored three goals in the attacking line. In particular, Suzuki, who was teammates with Minamino and Nakamura during his time in Gamba's junior youth team, also recorded three assists, and it goes without saying that he is a player to watch out for, along with Higashi, who is skilled at creating chances on the left wing.

"We definitely want to beat Hiroshima and then head to Saudi Arabia" (Yamamoto). If they can get revenge against Hiroshima, it will naturally give them momentum for ACL2. They will fight with all their might to finish off this 11-game stretch.