Muangthong United vs Johor Darul Ta’zim
7:30pm, January 23
Supachalasai National Stadium, Bangkok
MUANGTHONG UNITED
It’s a time of change at the Thai giants, with their four superstars all signing for overseas clubs over the last six months – Chanathip Songkrasin, Theerasil Dangda and Theerathon Bunmathan all to Japan, and Kawin Thamsatchanan to Belgium – although both Teerasil and Theerathon will play in the preliminary rounds before departing for Japan.
That means it will be a largely new-look Muangthong United who host Johor Darul Ta’zim next week, and their headline signing has been that of former Buriram United striker Jajá, who found the back of the net 34 times last season.
Muangthong United hosted Johor Darul Ta’zim at the same stage in 2016, with the match ending 0-0 but the Thai side advancing after a 3-0 win in the penalty shootout. Having made the Round of 16 last year, coach Totchtawan Sripan will be hoping for a similar result next week.
JOHOR DARUL TA’ZIM
Johor Darul Ta’zim, more commonly known across Asia as just ‘JDT’, made it four Malaysian Super League titles in a row last year with another dominant season that saw them finish nine points clear of Pahang, losing only three of their 22 matches
In 2018 they welcome back two club favourites in Argentine duo Luciano Figueroa and Jorge Pereyra Diaz, who between them led the club’s scoring charts between 2014 and 2016. Also returning is Singaporean international Hariss Harun, who spent last season on loan with Home United.
No strangers to continental competition over the last few years, which includes winning the 2015 AFC Cup, they’ve participated in the preliminary playoffs for the last three seasons, but have never managed to make it to the group stage itself. Last year was the closest they’ve come when they faced another Thai side, Bangkok United, and prevailed 5-4 in a dramatic penalty shootout before losing to Gamba Osaka in the final playoff.
Eastern SC vs FLC Thanh Hoa
8:00pm, January 23
Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong
EASTERN SC
After breaking the duck and winning their first Hong Kong Premier League title in 2016, Hong Kong’s Eastern Sports Club looked set to claim another league title in 2017 after heading into the final round of the season with a one point lead over Kitchee, who they faced in the final match. But a 4-1 win for Kitchee saw them leapfrog Eastern to claim the title and the automatic qualifying position for the AFC Champions League.
Last year, they were the talk of the competition as Chan Yuen Ting became the first female to coach a team in the AFC Champions League. With Chan having moved on after the 2017 group stage, former national team assistant coach Szeto Man Chun is now the man in the dugout looking to navigate his way to another group stage appearance.
The start to the HKPL this season hasn't been as encouraging, with six losses in their opening ten matches, including a comprehensive 8-1 loss to Kitchee on Thursday, that has them sitting fifth, a full 14 points behind league leaders Kitchee.
FLC THANH HOA
Making their debut appearance in the AFC Champions League, FLC Thanh Hoa - based in the coastal city of Thanh Hoa, about 150km south of Hanoi - were involved in one of the most engrossing title races in V.League history last season, eventually finishing second on goal difference behind Quang Nam, despite leading the league for most of the first 20 rounds of the season.
Not regarded as a traditional power in Vietnam, FLC Thanh Hoa have been one of the V.League’s most consistent sides over the last few seasons, finishing third in both 2014 and 2015.
Senegalese striker Pape Omar Faye looms as the danger man for the Vietnamese side, scoring 11 goals in 19 matches last season, marking the fourth consecutive year he has scored more than 10 goals for the club, while they have also added experienced goal scorer Vu Minh Tuan to their squad.
Chiangrai United vs Bali United
7:00pm, January 23
United Stadium of Chiangrai, Chiangrai
CHIANGRAI UNITED
One of the surprise packages of last year’s Thai League 1 were Chiangrai United, from the far northern reaches of Thailand near the border with Myanmar. Finishing in fourth place behind Buriram United, Muangthong United and Bangkok United was an excellent result for a club whose previous best finish was seventh in 2014.
But their biggest success came in the FA Cup, where they registered wins over the more fancied Muangthong United (quarter-finals) and Buriram United (semi-finals) before defeating Bangkok United 4-2 in the final to qualify for this year’s AFC Champions League.
Far from resting on their laurels, coach Alexandre Gama has been busy in the off-season, signing the Thai League’s all-time leading scorer Cleiton Silva, who returns to Thailand after a year in China. Also added to the squad are former Muangthong United midfielder/defender Tanaboon Kesarat, Brazilian Gilberto Macena from Bangkok United, and South Korean international Lee Young-rae.
BALI UNITED
Bali United, last season’s Liga 1 runners-up, picked up from where they left off in 2017 with a convincing win over Singapore’s Tampines Rovers, proving they will once again be a force in 2018.
While last season’s record-breaking top scorer Sylvano Comvalius may have departed, Ilija Spasojevic - who scored 13 goals for champions Bhayangkara last season - has arrived and showed in the win over Tampines Rovers that he will be a more than capable replacement.
Stefano Lilipaly, who only arrived midway through last season, looks ready to explode after peppering the goals against Tampines Rovers. With the core of last season’s squad still intact, and with coach Widodo Putro still in charge, it looks like another big season on the horizon for Bali United.
Brisbane Roar vs Ceres Negros
7:00pm, January 23
Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, Brisbane
BRISBANE ROAR
In 2017, Brisbane Roar once again came within one game of making the A-League Grand Final, falling to Melbourne Victory in the semi-final, but it was another successful season for John Aloisi’s team.
The 2017/18 season, however, has been a different story with Brisbane Roar struggling near the foot of the table and appearing likely to miss the Finals for the first time since the 2009/10 season.
Brisbane Roar are no strangers to the preliminary rounds of the AFC Champions League, falling to Buriram United in a playoff in 2013 before having more success last season when they defeated Filipino side Global 6-0 and then recorded a historic 2-0 win against Shanghai Shenhua to qualify for the group stage.
CERES-NEGROS
Forced to do it the hard way against a stubborn Shan United, Ceres-Negros continued to show their promise in Asian competition with a hard-fought win to advance to the second preliminary round.
With a new-look side after some changes in the off-season, Ceres-Negros are still a work in progress as they build up towards the start of the new PFL season, but with the silky Stephan Schrock controlling the play in midfield, who is now joined by the German-born Filipino international Mike Ott, they remain a dangerous proposition.
They now travel to Brisbane hoping to have more luck than their compatriots Global Cebu, who were on the wrong end of a 6-0 loss last season.
