Melbourne City FC will hope to maintain top spot in Group G with another victory in the AFC Champions League as it prepares to face Jeonnam Dragons on Matchday 3.
The team secured its first-ever win in the competition on Tuesday morning when it beat United City FC 3-0 in what was a comprehensive performance from Patrick Kisnorbo’s side.
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Despite an early scare following a mix-up between Rostyn Griffiths and Tom Glover that nearly saw a horror opener conceded in the 2nd minute, the City boys would dominate possession and scoring chances for the remainder of the contest.
Our opener arrived in the 34th minute thanks to Stefan Colakovksi, who finished coolly across United City keeper Matt Silva after being played in behind by Griffiths with a long ball from defence.
Marco Tilio would go on to net himself a brace in the second half, teed up by Tsubasa Endoh and Raphael Borges Rodrigues for his 59th- and 75th-minute strikes respectively.
The big win saw City move to the top of Group G on goal difference, though we remain tied on points with Matchday 1 opposition BG Pathum United who are performing well in front of home fans.
They most recently dispatched our upcoming opposition, South Korean outfit Jeonnam Dragons, by a 2-0 scoreline, hardly affording their opponents a sniff as they dominated the scoring chances.
Indeed, the Dragons barely tested BG Pathum keeper Kittipong Phuthawchueak, who faced just two shots on target for the night.
With that pair of accurate strikes adding to Jeonnam’s mere three in their Matchday 1 win over United City FC, Jeon Kyung-jun’s side is one that has struggled offensively so far in this competition, a trend that Patrick Kisnorbo’s side will look to exploit in the teams’ upcoming meeting.
The reigning A-League Men’s Champions will likely field a rotated lineup again for the fixture, with Socceroo trio Mathew Leckie, Jamie Maclaren and Andrew Nabbout all looming as possible returnees to the XI.
Connor Metcalfe may also be in line for an appearance, having served his isolation period after testing positive to COVID-19 upon his arrival in Thailand. The midfielder would be a welcome addition amidst a spate of serious injuries to key players in that area of the pitch, with Aiden O’Neill and Florin Berenguer ruled out of the tournament entirely.
A win against Jeonnam would prove significant for the City boys, who would likely sit atop Group G if they can pull off another victory, extending their unbeaten run in their inaugural ACL campaign. After the completion of this upcoming third matchday, fans will likely have an idea of the hierarchy within the group, with all teams having played each other once, so Kisnorbo’s men will undoubtedly seek to establish themselves as the team to beat with another strong performance in Matchday 3.
Match Details
AFC Champions League Matchday 3
Melbourne City FC vs Jeonnam Dragons
Friday 22 April, kick-off 12am (AEST) / Thursday 21 April, kick-off 9pm (Bangkok local time)
Pathum Thani Stadium
