Gamba Osaka made light work of Cong An Ninh Dan at the Panasonic Stadium Suita on Monday, running out 4-1 winners in the opening League Phase match of the AFC Champions League. The hosts had already tasted defeat in their previous outing, losing 0-2 to Tokyo, and looked determined to set things right.
Takuma Usami opened the scoring in the twenty-ninth minute, a neat finish that caught the visitors off guard. Yoshinori Toshida doubled the lead shortly after the break, and Usami added his second in the sixty-seventh minute to put the game beyond doubt. Brian Perea got one back for the visitors in the seventy-ninth, but Koji Sumi sealed it with a late strike in ninety-plus-three.
There were plenty of changes across the second half. Usami was withdrawn in the sixty-ninth minute alongside Meshino, while the visitors brought on three players. Mauk picked up a yellow card early on for Gamba, and Fukuoka joined him in the book at the end.
Statistics
- Shots on target: Gamba 7, Cong An Ninh Dan 7
- Shots off target: Gamba 3, Cong An Ninh Dan 6
- Blocked shots: Gamba 3, Cong An Ninh Dan 2
- Possession: Gamba 52%, Cong An Ninh Dan 48%
The numbers tell only part of the story. Both sides registered seven shots on target, yet Gamba's efficiency was the difference. They're now second in the table with three points after one game, while Cong An Ninh Dan sit fifteenth with none.