Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Osaka: Gamba Osaka followed up their creditable goalless draw with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the first leg of their 2015 ACL quarter-final in South Korea with a narrow 1-0 win over Shonan Bellmare as the J.League champions returned to the defence of their domestic crown on Sunday.
Midfielder Shu Kurata (pictured during an Emperor’s Cup match last year) scored the only goal of the Round 9 fixture with just nine minutes at the Expo ’70 Stadium played as Gamba registered their fourth win of the Second Stage.
Kurata, who played the second-half of Gamba’s goalless draw with Jeonbuk after replacing Kotaro Omori after the half-time interval, will be hoping to continue his goalscoring form when attention turns to the J.League Cup and next week’s home and away matches with Nagoya Grampus.
Gamba then travel to face league leaders Kashima Antlers on September 12 in their last domestic fixture before the second leg of their ACL quarter-final with 2006 champions Jeonbuk four days later.
Photo: AFP