In the first leg of the ACL2 semi-final, played in front of 12,150 spectators who had gathered at home believing in a Gamba victory, the team suffered a 0-1 defeat against Bangkok United. It was their first loss of the tournament, but after the match, the supporters chanted passionately, “Grab that cup!”

“It makes us feel like they’re fighting alongside us, and we can feel their expectations. We players understand the feelings of those supporters,” said Higashiguchi, reflecting on the meaning of the chant.



Regardless of the circumstances, victory is the only requirement for Gamba in the Osaka Derby, but everyone is aware that this particular matchup holds special significance.

In four days, they will travel to Thailand for the 2nd Leg of the semi-final, where they will aim to win with a comeback, and the Head Coach sees this as a good opportunity. “We want to use this as a good springboard, so we want to play well and win decisively before heading to the away game in Thailand,” Abe said emphatically, and victory is the only thing that matters in this match to embody those words.

In Vising’s first match as Head Coach, an away derby, Gamba secured two points after a penalty shootout. However, in this final J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE, Gamba aims for a decisive victory in 90 minutes. Although this will be Head Coach’s first time leading a derby at home, his stance remains unchanged. “It’s a derby, but it’s no different from any other match. We want to win, and not just win, but win with our own style of football,” he says, expressing the same determination to win that he demands of his players.



Cerezo Osaka, on the other hand, is currently in 9th place in the Meiji Yasuda J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE WEST. They have a record of 1 win and 2 losses in their last three matches, so they will undoubtedly be highly motivated to change their fortunes.

Cerezo Osaka lost 0-3 to Nagoya in the last match, and their goal tally is tied with Fukuoka for the worst in both the EAST and WEST divisions, but they have conceded fewer goals than Gamba, totaling 10, and won against Kobe on penalties in the match before last. The tall Sakuragawa needs to be watched carefully, including during set pieces, but Miura, who is currently putting on an impressive performance, is “good at keeping the ball and has height. Attacks originating from there, as well as crosses and set pieces, will be a threat, so we need to deal with them properly,” he said with great enthusiasm. Their opponents played with a formation close to a false nine in the match against Kobe, so it’s unclear what they will do, but Gamba’s current style is to stick to their own way of doing things no matter who the opponent is.



From the front line to the back, the entire team is focused on the vertical direction, aiming to win the ball back and press towards the opponent’s goal, a stance they must demonstrate from the moment of kickoff. Hatsuse, who fully understands the weight of the derby, declared, “We want to show from the moment the whistle blows that we are going to win.”

If Cerezo Osaka moves the ball around, Gamba will simply try to win it back and force a goal through sharp attacks.

While prioritizing securing three points, Gamba’s current strengths must be fully showcased, and we must share the joy of victory with our supporters.