Head Coach JENS WISSING said , “We’re back in the league, so for the past two days we’ve been focused on preparing for the Osaka Derby. We played Cerezo Osaka in the opening match, and my impression of them hasn’t changed much since then. I think they’re a really good and strong team. I think they’re in a position in the standings that they don’t want, but this time it’s the Osaka Derby, which is different from matches against other teams. It’s going to be a special match, so I know they’ll be well-prepared, and both teams will be determined to win. In this match, balance and decision-making will be very important. The final decision is crucial even when scoring a goal, and if we just go all out without thinking, we’ll get too tense and it will be counterproductive, so in both attack and defense, I think what we want to do and our decision-making will be crucial.”
DF5 Genta MIURA : “I don’t know if Sakuragawa will come on, but he’s a strong, tall player who can hold onto the ball, and I think attacks originating from him will be a threat, so we’ll be sure to deal with him properly. Also, I think we can create chances by applying high pressure against Cerezo Osaka’s build-up play, winning the ball back from the front, and creating opportunities for short counter-attacks. Even if we get beaten, we’ll make sure to keep the overall spacing compact, and the defenders won’t drop back too far, so we’ll be patient and do our best to defend well. I think the Osaka Derby has come at a good time, and we want to use this derby as a springboard, so we’ll play well, win decisively, and carry that momentum into our away game in Thailand.”
MF10 Shu KURATA : “I think the Osaka Derby has come at a good time. As a team, we are focused on showing what we couldn’t do in the Bangkok match in this derby, and we want to play with even higher quality than we did against Kyoto. I think Cerezo Osaka will try to build up play from the back, but if Sakuragawa is up front, there’s a possibility they’ll play long balls, so we need to carefully observe that during the match and fight accordingly. However, rather than focusing on the opponent, I think it all comes down to how well we can do ourselves, and we want to take the initiative and control the game. It’s a derby, so we’re fired up, but I think if we get too fired up it will just lead to us overdoing it, so we want to play with passion in our bodies and a calm mind.”