AFC Champions League Elite
Marcos Junior struck from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute and Nakajima confirmed the J1 League side would take the points back to Japan with a brave header nine minutes from time.
Hiroshima claimed the win with an improved performance after the interval, with neither side impressing in the first 45 minutes on a slick Melbourne Rectangular Stadium pitch that had endured a pregame deluge.
Patrick Beach made a fine reaction save in the 29th minute to deny Marcos Junior as the proceedings took time to come to life, the Melbourne City goalkeeper stretching out his left hand to push the Brazilian’s volley from eight yards away for a corner.
Marcos Junior went close to unlocking the home defence again as the game edged into time added on a the end of the first half, launching a ball into the penalty area that forced Aziz Behich to hack to safety.
Three minutes into the second half Andreas Kuen skied a rare opportunity well over the bar for Melbourne City from 20 yards out before, four minutes later, the Japanese side went in front.
Mutsuki Kato flicked the ball into the Melbourne City penalty area and, as Marcos Junior raced onto the through pass, he was brought down by Beach as he slid along the ground. The striker picked himself to score, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Kato then slotted the ball past Beach five minutes later only for that effort to be ruled out for offside while Naoki Maeda narrowly missed bending his later attempt into the top corner.
Nathaniel Atkinson squandered a rare opening for Melbourne City as the game approached the final quarter of an hour, the full back slicing his shot well wide of Keisuke Osako’s goal after being played into the penalty area by new signing Takeshi Kanamori.
Hiroshima’s second came nine minutes from time as the J1 League side showed their clinical side, Kato feeding the underlapping Shuto Nakano and Nakajima rose to head into the bottom corner despite the attention of the Melbourne City defence.
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