Western Sydney Wanderers and Ulsan Hyundai will meet in a matchday one Asian Champions League fixture at Parramatta Stadium tonight at 7.30pm AEDT.
Western Sydney Wanderers and Ulsan Hyundai will meet in a matchday one Asian Champions League fixture at Parramatta Stadium tonight at 7.30pm AEDT.
Head-to-head:
N/A
Previous encounter:
N/A
Form:
Past five matches:
Wanderers: WDDWL
Ulsan: LLWWW
The Game:
Western Sydney head into their maiden Asian Champions League campaign on a four-game unbeaten streak in the A-League, including a comfortable 2-0 win away against the Glory on the weekend.
Despite the long trip to Perth, coach Tony Popovic is confident his side is fresh and primed for their ACL debut. It will be interesting to see how Popovic uses his squad for the tournament, in particular the likes of Golgol Mebrahtu, Antony Golec and Daniel Mullen, who were all signed exclusively for the ACL.
And the A-League club will have their work cut out against the Korean giants. Ulsan have tremendous experience in the competition and were winners of the whole thing just two years ago. Ho-Gon Kim’s squad contains a host of Korean internationals as well as exciting Brazilian pair Rafinha and Caique.
The big issue:
Wanderers – Western Sydney have done brilliantly in just under two seasons in existence but this is a whole new frontier for the A-League’s newest club.
Not many of Popovic’s side have experienced the ACL before and the extra workload, travel and pressure that comes with it. Just how they cope with all that and their hectic schedule will determine just how far they go in both the A-League and ACL in coming months.
Ulsan – With the K-League still a couple of weeks away from getting started, Ulsan head into this clash without any competitive football under their belt.
If there’s any side capable of exploiting a weakness it’s the super-fit and disciplined Wanderers.
Ulsan are sure to tire late on at Parramatta Stadium and will need to be resilient and organised enough to withstand an expected late barrage from the home side.
The game breaker:
Shinji Ono – The Japanese veteran should be well rested after being spared the trip across the Nullarbor on the weekend and he will be key to unlocking Ulsan’s defence.
Ono has showed glimpses of his class this season but you get the sense he is keen to produce back on the ACL stage.
The visitors are sure to target the 34-year-old but if he can find a bit of space and time on the ball, the Wanderers could be in business.
