Your City boys are back in action on Wednesday night, with a big AFC Champions League Elite away fixture against Vissel Kobe on the horizon.
Arriving in Japan late Sunday, Aurelio Vidmar’s squad has its eyes set on returning home with a pivotal three points in what shapes as one of the toughest assignments of the group stage.
BOUNCING BACK FROM MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday marks City’s second outing in this year’s ACL Elite campaign after falling 2-0 at home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima a fortnight ago.
Vidmar’s men produced a strong first half that night, but Hiroshima’s match sharpness told in the second period as they capitalised on their chances to take all three points.
With another two weeks of training under the belt, City will be determined to deliver a full 90-minute performance this time around.
Preparations included a behind-closed-doors friendly against Newcastle Jets last week, where City came away 3-2 winners thanks to goals from Emin Durakovic, Kavian Rahmani and skipper Aziz Behich. That hit-out provided valuable minutes and confidence ahead of a return to Asia.
A new face on track to debut
City fans tuning in on Paramount+ will be eager to catch their first glimpse of Elbasan Rashani in City colours.
The Kosovan international was left out of the matchday squad a fortnight ago, having only just arrived in Melbourne, but has since impressed on the training pitch, including in last week’s friendly. He has travelled to Japan and could be in line to debut on Wednesday.
Also attracting attention will be Japanese winger Takeshi Kanamori, who returns to his homeland for the first time as a City player. One of the standouts in our loss to Hiroshima, Kanamori has plenty of experience against Vissel Kobe (17 previous meetings) and will be looking to make an impact once again.
A huge test against in-form Kobe
City will face a Kobe side in strong form, currently sitting second in the J1 League and unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions.
That run includes a 3-0 win over Chinese giants Shanghai Port on Matchday 1, underlining the size of the challenge ahead.
The hosts are tough to beat on home soil and boast a squad brimming with quality. City’s ability to stay compact defensively and take advantage of attacking moments will be key if Vidmar’s side is to return to Melbourne with points in hand.
Away record counts for little
One factor that is hugely on our side is City’s strong history on the road in Asia. In our last appearance in 2023/24, we went undefeated away from home with wins in China and Thailand, plus a draw in Japan. That followed an unbeaten hub campaign in Thailand during our debut in 2022.
While that record highlights City’s ability to travel well, it will count for nothing come kick-off on Wednesday night. With the top eight teams in the East region progressing to the Round of 16, every point is precious – and this fixture looms as an early chance to lay down a marker in Group B.
Fixture Details
AFC Champions League Elite: Matchday 2
Vissel Kobe v Melbourne City FC
Wednesday 1 October
7:00pm KO local // 8:00pm KO AEST
Misaki Park Stadium
Watch live via Paramount+
