Red-hot striker Takashi Usami grabbed his eighth league goal of the season and Japanese treble winners Gamba Osaka defeated Albirex Niigata 2-1 at home on Sunday to move into second place in the J. League first division.
Usami fired Gamba in front in the 48th minute with his seventh goal in five league matches before Niigata leveled in the 67th when Brazilian striker Leo Silva finished off a one-two with Japan Under-22 forward Musashi Suzuki.
But Patric, who grabbed a double in Gamba's 5-0 hammering of China's Guangzhou R&F in the Asian Champions League on Wednesday, sealed victory with six minutes left, taking a pass from Shu Kurata on his chest and finishing with a left-footed strike.
Gamba improved to 16 points from seven games, one behind leaders Urawa Reds, who won 2-1 at home to Nagoya Grampus on Saturday. Niigata stayed fourth from bottom with six points.