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Melbourne Victory will be looking to put some hard-earnt lessons into practice in tomorrow’s dead-rubber Asian Champions League encounter away to Korea’s Chunnam Dragons.
With two rounds remaining, Victory are out of the running for top spot and a berth in the knockout stage, while the Dragons have only the faintest of hopes of catching runaway group leaders Gamba Osaka from Japan.
Melbourne will welcome back Costa Rican international midfielder Carlos Hernandez from injury for his ACL debut, while former Central Coast forward Tom Pondeljak is likely to start alongside Danny Allsopp in attack.
Steve Pantelidis also comes in to replace suspended midfielder Leigh Broxham.
But it’s been conceding goals rather than scoring them that has been more of an issue for Melbourne, who have let in nine in their last three games.
That record contrasts starkly with Australia’s other ACL qualifiers Adelaide United, who top Group E having conceded only two goals in four matches.
“Gamba Osaka are the best team we’ve played by far, even at Telstra Dome they played some great football (in a thrilling April 9 match the Japanese team won 4-3 with a last-minute decider),” Victory goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos told AAP today from the Korean town of Gwangyang.
“We thought we had to go for the win and get the three points, whereas in hindsight a draw would have been a good result for us there.
“Then you look at Adelaide United, who didn’t have a good Champions League campaign last year and this year they are top of the group.
“You see their style of play, it’s very controlled with a slow buildup, whereas we’re used to going at 100 miles an hour in the A-League.
“We’ve definitely learnt a lot from these games.”
Victory currently prop up the Group G standings with three points, behind Gamba (10), Thailand’s Chonburi (five and Chunnam (four).
“The match against Chunnam is about credibility and we certainly don’t want to finish last in the group,” said Theoklitos.
“It’s about building for the future and towards the next A-League season.
“This has been a new thing for us, and things like the travel have been difficult.
“We haven’t been too disappointed with the way we’ve played, it’s just that a few things haven’t gone our way.”
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