[J1 Matchday 5] Two teams separated by just two points face off. Can Gamba Osaka overtake Shimizu?

Gamba Osaka vs. Shimizu: A clash between managers in their third year in charge.

Under manager Daniel Poyatos, who is in his third year with the team, Gamba Osaka is aiming for a style of play this season that incorporates high pressing in defense, ball possession, and attacking with speed in the vertical. In the previous match, striker Makoto Mitsuda, who joined Gamba Osaka on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima on February 27th, made his debut in the second half after only two days of training and contributed to the victory. In this match, striker Mitsuda and defender Shogo Sasaki made their first starts since joining the team. Meanwhile, Shimizu, led by manager Tadahiro Akiba, who is also in his third year with the team, is aiming for a highly offensive and high-intensity style of football. In this match, they made one change from the previous match, with midfielder Yuta Shimamoto making his first start of the season.

Gamba Osaka's forwards were active in both attack and defense.

Gamba Osaka earned a corner kick five minutes into the match. Kicker Tokuma Suzuki's kick was cleared, but striker Ryoya Yamashita took a shot from distance on the rebound. However, it was blocked by Shimizu's goalkeeper Yuya Oki. Gamba Osaka continued to dominate in the eighth minute of the first half when strikers Issam Dzebari and Mitsuda pressed from the front line, stole the ball, and launched a short counter-attack. Midfielder Shu Kurata reacted to a pass from striker Mitsuda and ran towards the goal, but was stopped by a tenacious save from Shimizu's defender Ken Takagi. In the tenth minute, Gamba Osaka's striker Dzebari reacted to a long pass, kept possession of the ball, and passed it sideways. Striker Mitsuda reacted to the pass and unleashed a powerful shot from distance, but goalkeeper Oki made a good save to prevent a goal.

Meanwhile, Shimizu struggled to get a shot on goal, but in the 23rd minute of the first half, they launched an attack by supplying a vertical pass from the right side. The cross was cleared, but midfielder Matheus Bueno picked up the loose ball and took a shot from just outside the penalty area. However, the ball went wide to the left of the goal. In the 36th minute, Gamba Osaka connected passes from a throw-in on the right side, and finally, forward Yamashita chipped the ball through two defenders into the net. Gamba Osaka took the lead, and the first half ended with them leading 1-0.

Gamba Osaka launched an attack, while Shimizu countered with an impenetrable defense.

52 minutes into the second half, Gamba Osaka, on the attack, saw defender Keisuke Kurokawa pass the ball from the left flank to forward Mitsuda in the center. Mitsuda dribbled into the penalty area and took a shot, but Shimizu's defender Jelani Leshawn Sumiyoshi made an impenetrable save, and the ball went wide of the goal. In the 54th minute, Shimizu, eager to equalize, passed the ball around just outside the penalty area, and midfielder Zento Uno ran in and took a shot from distance. However, the ball went straight to goalkeeper Jun Ichimori. It was a good attacking opportunity, but they were unable to score.

Meanwhile, in the 61st minute of the second half, Gamba Osaka's midfielder Neta Ravi played a through pass. Forward Mitsuda reacted to this and passed the ball forward again, and finally forward Dzebari took a shot, but goalkeeper Oki parried the ball away. Gamba Osaka did not let up on their attack, and in the 66th minute, forward Mitsuda pressured the opponent from the front line, and forward Yamashita stole the ball and immediately launched a counter-attack. He took a shot, but it went wide, and they were unable to score an additional goal. Shimizu manager Akiba brought on forward Ahmed Ahmedov in the 66th minute of the second half and forward Douglas Tanki in the 80th minute. He placed tall players up front in an attempt to score, but they were unable to create a decisive chance, and the match ended. Gamba Osaka won 1-0.

Forward Mitsuda, making his first start since joining the team, put up a great fight.

Following his performance in the previous match, Gamba Osaka's forward Mitsuda, making his first start, had a stellar performance. Mitsuda's aggressive pressing from the front line was supported by the players around him, who repeatedly won the ball back and created scoring opportunities. He also played a key role in receiving long balls and initiating further attacks. Although he has only recently joined the team, he is already starting to work well with his teammates. It will be interesting to see how he further integrates with them and how he positively impacts the team in the future.

From "DAZN Meiji Yasuda J1 League Highlights Gamba Osaka vs Shimizu: Matchday 5" (March 8, 2025)
*The information in the article is current at the time of publication.