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Kawasaki Frontale vs Melbourne Victory |
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|---|---|---|
2018 Asian Champions League, March 7 |
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| Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kawasaki, Japan | ||
| Kawasaki Frontale | Melbourne Victory | |
| 2 | SCORE | 2 |
| 1 | First half | 1 |
| 1 | Second half | 1 |
It’s a battle of two sides already struggling to save their Asian Champions League campaigns when the Melbourne Victory travel to Japan to face Kawasaki Frontale. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 9pm (AEDT).
Both the Japanese and Australian outfit had a rough time of it during the first window of matches, with the Victory able to secure a draw.
With the other two teams in the group – Shanghai East Asia and Ulsan moving ahead – this is a pivotal match to keep in touch with the top two.
The Victory kicked off their campaign at home with a somewhat disappointing three-all draw against Ulsan. The result stung Melbourne, who at that point had lost three A-League games on the trot.
They were then thumped away from home 4-1 by Shanghai, and while they have a competition point to their name, they are going to need results away from home to qualify for the next round.
Since the first bracket of ACL games, Melbourne have looked in better touch though, recording wins over Adelaide United and Melbourne City in the derby.
Still, playing away from home will be a challenge. It’s something Australian clubs have often struggled with and in addition, Kawasaki’s ACL matches so far can’t be taken as gospel.
A 1-0 loss at home to Shanghai was frustrating for the club, yet, one or two plays could have completely flipped the game on its head and ensured a different result.
The loss away from home to Ulsan saw them outplayed for the majority. With just five minutes to play, it was 2-0 before a late goal saw them make the scoreboard more respectable.
While both sides need a win, Melbourne would be more than happy to pick up a draw on the road and then attempt to win their remaining home games.
Given Kawasaki sit at the top of the J1 League though averaging more than two goals per game, their defence will need to be outstanding. Stopping Yū Kobayashi up front has been an impossibility in the domestic competition, with the Japanese striker having 23 goals to his name for the season.
Interestingly, the two sides were in the same group of the 2010 Asian Champions League, with the home side winning both matches and maintaining a clean sheet.
Prediction
With home ground advantage and the track record, as well as the Victory’s form being inconsistent in the A-League, this should be a straightforward win for the Japanese club.
Kawasaki 2 – Victory 0.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the ACL from 9pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.