ACLE: Round of 16 opponents confirmed!

Melbourne City’s opponent for the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 has now been confirmed following the conclusion of the League Stage on Wednesday night.

A two-legged showdown against Buriram United awaits, with City finishing fifth in the East Region standings and Buriram placing fourth. As a result, we will host the first leg in Melbourne before travelling to Thailand for the return fixture.

While exact kick-off times are still to be finalised, we know the opening leg will be played in Melbourne on either March 3 or 4, with the second leg to follow a week later in Thailand. Full fixture details will be confirmed in due course, so keep an eye on City channels.

It sets up a fascinating contest against a side we have already become familiar with during this campaign. We met Buriram during the League Stage back in October, producing a strong comeback performance to secure all three points.

After falling behind, goals from Elbasan Rashani and Max Caputo turned the game on its head and sparked a six-game unbeaten run in Asia.

There is also history between the two clubs from our most recent appearance in Asia’s premier club competition. On that occasion, City claimed an impressive 2-0 away victory in Thailand before narrowly going down 1-0 at home in the reverse fixture. With both sides having enjoyed success against one another in recent years, the Round of 16 tie promises to be finely balanced.

Buriram’s squad includes City’s all-time appearance leader Curtis Good, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the contest.

The experienced defender has been a key figure for the Thai side across their ACL Elite campaign, and will no doubt be eager to face his former club once again on the continental stage.

For City, this marks a historic milestone. Having qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in Club history, we now have the opportunity to take another step forward and push deeper into the competition. The winner of the two-legged tie will advance to the final stages of the tournament, set to be played in a centralised hub in Saudi Arabia in mid-to-late April.

With a place in the last eight on the line and momentum building after a strong League Stage campaign, anticipation is already growing for what shapes as a huge continental occasion in Melbourne early next month.