Melbourne City will aim to create history when they take on Chinese powerhouse Wuhan Jiangda in the first ever AFC Women’s Champions League Final on Saturday night.
Taking on the hosts, City will look to become the first team to lift the trophy in the competition’s inaugural year.
Ahead of the Final, Head Coach Michael Matricciani and central defender Taylor Otto spoke to the media.
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Read Matricciani’s pre-match thoughts below…
A HISTORIC OCCASSION
“I think it’s going to be a great occasion playing against Wuhan, they’re a great side. We are expecting a big crowd. Obviously, they had nearly 5,000 people there on Wednesday night. Hopefully there’s an even bigger crowd for this really special showcase, the Asian Champions League Final.
“They’re an excellent side. My analyst and staff and myself, we’ve been doing research on them, expecting them probably to make the final. So, we’ve been analysing them for the past four weeks, we have a lot of information on them, and we’re very well prepared and looking forward to the event.”
FINAL OPPONENT
“I don’t want to single out anyone in particular, but I think there’s three or four of their attackers that we need to be aware of and we’ve done a lot of research on their strengths. And hopefully our defenders and midfielders and players that are going to be close to them can nullify them and hopefully not allow them to express themselves and have space and time, because if they do, they are able to hurt teams.
“I think they’re an excellent side. They’re definitely well coached. They can be very, very disciplined like they did in the Quarter Final. But they have a number of strengths that we need to be aware of. So, we’re very confident in our own ability. We show our respect to every team that we play, and we believe that we can win the match but we definitely need to nullify their strengths, so it should be a good game.”
Read Otto’s pre-match thoughts below…
FINAL PREPARATION
“We’ve been preparing and the coaches have done a lot, and they’re going to show us a lot of information and things that we can implement on the field.
“I think they’re a great team and we have a lot of respect for their players, and I think we have a great side as well. It’ll be a really good game for a great occasion and we’re really excited.”
WHAT IT MEANS
“I think having a crowd, whether it be for you or the other team, is incredible for the game itself, and I think any player loves playing in front of fans, whether they’re for you or not.
“This means everything. It’s an honour to be in this game. But personally as a player, winning anything is really hard to do in your career. So, that’s something we strive for always. And I think for this club and for Australia, it is setting a standard. And that’s what we want to do as a club. So I think that’s our goal and that’s what we’re hoping to do. And we hope we can do that for everyone back in Australia.”
Fixture Details
AFC Women’s Champions League: Final
Wuhan Jiangda v Melbourne City FC
Wuhan Sports Centre Stadium, Wuhan, China
Saturday 24 May, 10:00pm KO (AEST)
Broadcast live and free via 10play
