The previous match against Shimizu, which took place immediately after winning the ACL2, proved once again the correctness of the style and direction that Gamba has been building under Head Coach.
"The next match after winning the championship is always difficult, but in the Shimizu match, everyone was highly motivated and there was an atmosphere of wanting to finish as high up in the standings as possible," Hatsuse recalled. Despite conceding the first goal, substitute Minamino showed that his breakout season was genuine with two goals that led Gamba to victory.

As captain Nakatani stated, "The biggest thing was that young players came on as substitutes and completely changed the flow of the game, leading to this victory." In the approximately five months since the establishment of the Vising regime, Gamba not only established a new style but also utilized young talents like Araki and Yamamoto, who are expected to carry Gamba into the future. While focusing on the match in front of them, they have also strengthened the team's capabilities.

The Meiji Yasuda J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE playoff round is a battle to determine the final standings against Tokyo Verdy, who are 5th in the EAST division, but Head Coach Vissing emphasized, "There is something we can show our home supporters once again. There will be opportunities for young players to shine, and I think there will also be players making their debut."

The playoff round will consist of two matches played at home and away, and Gamba Osaka, playing in front of their home supporters for the first time since winning ACL2, will naturally be aiming for victory. Nawata, who came on as a substitute in the previous match against Shimizu but was involved in the winning goal, is highly motivated to show his abilities.
"This will be an important opportunity for me, and a chance to showcase my skills. Whenever I play, I'm always aiming to score, and I have a clear image of being able to score," he said, indicating his eagerness to head towards the Tokyo Verdy goal.

Tokyo Verdy, on the other hand, will undoubtedly be heading to Panasonic Stadium Suita with high motivation. In the last match, they suffered a crushing 0-6 defeat at home against Yokohama F･Marinos, but they will likely show an aggressive fighting spirit to bounce back. As Head Coach Vissing has expressed caution, saying, "They are aggressive in closing down on the ball and are a wild team in a good way," Tokyo Verdy will be putting hard work from the entire team to the forefront. With the exception of Brazilian GK Matheus, all the players are Japanese. Their style does not rely on any particular individual, but Gamba will need to be careful as Someya has scored 4 goals and Fukuda, who previously played for Gamba, has scored 2 goals, showing his presence up front.
"When young players get playing time, it excites the supporters, and it also provides a foundation for how the club can grow from here on out." (Vishing Head Coach).
For Gamba, who have once again taken a step towards becoming a consistently winning team, this match will be an opportunity to showcase the potential the team holds.