New Gamba Osaka boss Masanobu Matsunami wants goals in AFC Champions League

Apr 3, 2012 5:22:00 AM

The newly-appointed coach says they can still progress in the continental competition despite their poor start, pointing to a focus on scoring goals

Newly-appointed Gamba Osaka coach Masanobu Matsunami is demanding goals from his side against Bunyodkor on Tuesday after their poor start to the 2012 AFC Champions League.

Gamba, the 2008 Asian champions, started the continental competition with 3-0 and 2-0 defeats to Pohang Steelers and Adelaide United respectively, to be sitting bottom of their group.

The poor results, combined with ordinary J-League form, led to coach Jose Carlos Serrao's dismissal and Matsunami's appointment and the new boss believes they can still claw their way back in the group with scoring goals his main focus.

"Since I arrived, I have been telling the players to concentrate more on scoring. Whoever we play, we should play our style to break down our opponents," Matsunami told reporters.

"We want to score more goals to improve our goal difference, but our priority is to win three points.

"We had better possession at the weekend (in the 1-1 draw with Albirex Niigata, their first result of the season) and passed the ball well. If we can work more on the attacking element then we can improve our chances."

He added: "We haven't started well in the AFC Champions League this year, but we are at home this time and we will do our best to collect three points."

Meanwhile, Bunyodkor boss Mirjalol Qosimov admitted he didn't know what to expect from Gamba despite their poor start to the competition.

"Gamba have lost the first two games in the AFC Champions League, but you never know what they will be like until you play them as they have a new manager," Qosimov said.

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