The away match against Mito, played just three days after the ACL Elite Preliminary Stage game against Gangwon FC, was a tough one for Gamba, as they conceded the first goal early on. However, Gamba Osaka stepped up their game in the second half, and substitutes were able to make an impact. "I feel like we could have won the Mito match. I watched the first half from the bench and knew where the openings were," said Sasaki, who was brought on in the second half. He added an accent to the build-up play and made a solid block for Nakatani's equalizer from a corner kick. The substitutes contributed to both offense and defense, but another positive was the long-awaited Gamba debut of promising new signing Adams.

As Adams said, "Head Coach Myojin told me to 'go out there with confidence and have fun'," he was brought on as an inside midfielder, and the team shifted to an attacking formation. Adams was happy to have played in the match, as he created scoring opportunities with his well-aimed attacks, but he also expressed his disappointment that they couldn't secure a win, saying, "I'm glad I got to play, but I'm disappointed with the score."

Having won the ACL Two, Gamba Osaka has yet to experience defeat, but in their match against Nagoya, after a one-week interval, securing three points is a must, even though it's an away game.
For Head Coach Myojin, this is his former club, where he played after leaving Gamba, but he stated unequivocally that he is "focused on getting three points away from home."

Unlike the match against Mito, which focused on conditioning, the match against Nagoya, which comes after a one-week interval, will involve exploring how to defend from the front line and how to move the ball from the back. However, MESHINO says that "we need to continue building on our tactics in the middle block."

Araki also expressed caution, saying, "Nagoya builds up their play well. I have the impression that they have high quality passing from the back, especially from the center backs." However, for Gamba, it is essential to unify their defense with a clear objective. In the J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE, they suffered a bitter defeat against Nagoya with one draw and one loss, but Nagoya has lost their first two matches of the season and is winless. However, their performances have not been bad, so they will surely be aiming for their first home win.

In addition to formidable attackers like Yamagishi and Kimura up front, speedster Matheus will also be returning to the lineup for the first time in about 10 months in the opening match against Shimizu. Kishimoto also expressed caution, saying, "Nagoya has good players, and now that Matheus is back, we need to be careful of them as well."

No matter what kind of tactics Nagoya employs, Gamba's foundation will be the basics that Abe describes as "winning the ball and not being outrun by the opponent are fundamental prerequisites in football."
Nagoya tends to play man-to-man, but if Gamba can win local battles or break through one of their opponents, the situation can quickly turn in their favor.

In the forward line, where Uenaka is already showing signs of fitting in well, Adams, whom Head Coach Myojin describes as "ready to go anytime without worrying about the time," is also on standby.
The five-game series of official matches kicks off with the game against Nagoya, and all that's needed is to secure three points and build momentum.