Jebali masterclass ends Gamba's drought (Gamba Osaka vs Nagoya Grampus analysis) | OneFootball

Gamba Osaka End Winless Run with Convincing Victory Over Struggling Nagoya

Dominant Display Sees Hosts Cruise to 2-0 Win at Panasonic Stadium Suita

Gamba Osaka snapped their five-match winless streak with a commanding 2-0 victory over Nagoya Grampus at Panasonic Stadium Suita on Saturday, further deepening the visitors' relegation concerns.

Daniel Poyatos' side controlled proceedings from the outset, dominating possession (65%) and outshooting their opponents by a staggering 17-2 margin, with Nagoya failing to register a single attempt on target throughout the 90 minutes.

The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when Issam Jebali, who has been in impressive form with three goals already this season, slalomed through two sliding defenders before calmly finishing past Daniel Schmidt in the Nagoya goal.

Ryoya Yamashita doubled Gamba's advantage in the 76th minute, converting from a chance created by the influential Jebali, who finished the match with a goal, an assist and a match-high rating of 8.7.

Midfield Masterclass

The home side's midfield duo of Neta Lavi and Tokuma Suzuki dictated the tempo throughout, allowing attacking players like Juan Alano and Jebali to flourish in the final third.

"We emphasised the importance of controlling possession before the match," said Poyatos afterwards. "The players executed our game plan perfectly and deserved the three points today."

Nagoya goalkeeper Schmidt made three important saves to prevent a heavier defeat, while defender Akinari Kawazura worked tirelessly with two tackles and two blocks, but their efforts proved futile against Gamba's relentless pressure.

Contrasting Fortunes

The result lifts Gamba's spirits as they look to climb from their current 14th position in the J1 League table, while Nagoya remain rooted in 19th place, firmly in the relegation zone with their away form a particular concern – no wins in six matches on the road this season.

Kenta Hasegawa's 3-4-2-1 system failed to generate any offensive momentum, with his team managing just 35% possession and completing only 336 passes at a 76% accuracy rate compared to Gamba's 624 passes at 87%.

The travelling Nagoya supporters made their frustrations clear at the final whistle, with audible boos directed at the players as they left the pitch.

Gamba will look to build on this momentum when they travel to face Yokohama FC next weekend, while Nagoya face another difficult test against Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Toyota Stadium as they desperately search for form to escape the relegation battle.