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Brisbane Roar will be hoping to kick start their Asian Champions League campaign with a win as they host Beijing Guoan at Gold Coast Stadium on Wednesday evening. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 8:15pm (AEST)
Asian Champions League action returns to Australia as the reigning A-League champions Brisbane Roar face an arduous opponent in Beijing Guoan. Due to the Foo Fighters concert at Suncorp and much to Roar fans’ disgust, the match will be played at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The two teams are well known to each other, having met in the 2012 campaign, being deadlocked at 1-1 on both occasions. Both teams also failed to progress that season, finishing third and fourth in their group respectively.
Although being the A-League’s most successful club with three championships, the Roar have failed to make an impact in Asia, having not won a Champions League match in the club’s only appearance back in 2012. The club also failed to qualify the following year after falling to Thailand’s Buriram United in the qualifying round.
With the game against Victory postponed last Friday evening, the Roar will enter the match refreshed and well prepared after an 11-day break, going full force against a Beijing side that is still in pre-season.
Brisbane, despite not being able to consistently maintain their championship winning form into the 2014-15 season, have enjoyed a recent stint of wins in the A-League having won their last three matches, catapulting them into the top six. Brisbane’s last two wins have been away from home, so if anything, the Roar will not be fazed by the unfamiliar surroundings of the Gold Coast Stadium.
Beijing Guoan meanwhile is still in pre-season mode as their season commences on March 8. The Chinese Super League runners-up from last season qualified for the Champions League after whitewashing Thai side Bangkok Glass 3-0 in a qualifying round. This is their seventh AFC campaign, having reached as far as the round of 16 in 2010 and 2013.
The fact that the Chinese side have not yet commenced their season could prove to be a vital factor, as the Roar will look to exploit the side’s lack of match time and fitness, especially as Beijing are also playing away from home.
The Roar welcome Dimitri Petratos and Henrique back to fitness, with the latter scoring seven goals this season. Jean-Carlos Solorzano will miss the campaign due to injury, and due to the AFC’s limit three international imports. German defender Jerome Polenz was also unfortunate in being left out of the 29- man squad.
The Roar will have to be wary of the much hyped Argentinian playmaker Pablo Batalla, who last season scored eight goals in 20 matches for Beijing, as well as scoring a brace in the side’s qualifying match.
Prediction: Brisbane 2-0.
Will Brisbane be able capitalise on their opponent’s lack of match time and fitness? Or will the change in venue play into the hands of their Chinese visitors?
Join The Roar from 8:15pm (AEST) for live score updates and commentary in our live blog.
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