Isuzu UTE A-League champions Melbourne City and runners-up Sydney FC are Australia’s two representatives at this year’s AFC Champions League.
City, who are coming off a Derby defeat but remain top of the table, are embarking on their first ACL campaign after defeating Sydney in last season’s A-League Men Grand Final.
This will be the Sky Blues’ seventh ACL appearance as they look to progress beyond the group stage for just the second time and first since 2016.
However, the 2022 tournament will be a lot different as the double round-robin group stage will be held in a centralised venue.
City will be based in Bangkok, Thailand for their Group G matches, while Sydney – who suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Adelaide United on Tuesday to leave their finals hopes in the air – will call Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City home for their six Group H fixtures.
Here’s everything you need to know about their opponents and upcoming fixtures, which will be available to watch LIVE across 10 Play/Paramount+.
Melbourne City
Group G opponents:
BG Pathum United (Thailand)
The Thai Ligue 1 club are the hosts in Pathum Thani. Twice coached by former Adelaide United boss Aurelio Vidmar, Pathum United reached the Champions League last 16 in 2021. They entered this season’s edition as they reigning Thai champions, having clinched their first top-tier league crown.
Jeonnam Dragons (South Korea)
Despite competing in South Korea’s second tier, Jeonnam qualified as 2021 Korean FA Cup winners. K League 1 runners-up in 1997, this won’t be the first time Jeonnam face Australian opposition in the Champions League. In 2008, the Dragons [then known as Chunnam) went up against Melbourne Victory and lost 2-0 before playing out a 1-1 draw on home soil.
United City (Philippines)
The Golden Boys won the Philippines Football League 2020 and enter the ACL as the defending champions after the 2021 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four-time Filipino champions, United City competed in the group stage last campaign but did not progress. In 2018, they stunned Brisbane Roar 3-2 in the second round of the play-offs.
Fixtures
April 15
BG Panthum United v Melbourne City
Pathum Thani Stadium
Kick-off: 6.00pm (9.00pm AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 18 (April 19 AEST)
Melbourne City v United City
Pathum Thani Stadium
Kick-off: 9.00pm (12.00am AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 21 (April 22 AEST)
Melbourne City v Jeonnam Dragons
Pathum Thani Stadium
Kick-off: 9.00pm (12.00am AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 24
Jeonnam Dragons v Melbourne City
Pathum Thani Stadium
Kick-off: 6.00pm (9.00pm AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 27
Melbourne City v BG Pathum United
Pathum Thani Stadium
Kick-off: 6.00pm (9.00pm AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 30 (April 31 AEST)
United City v Melbourne City
Pathum Thani Stadium
Kick-off: 9.00pm (12.00am AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
Sydney FC
Group H opponents:
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea)
The Sky Blues will come up against the kings of K League 1, who have won five straight league titles. In total, Jeonbuk have been crowned champions on nine occasions, also in 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2015. They’ve also enjoyed continental success, having twice claimed the Champions League trophy, while they reached the quarter-finals in 2021.
Yokohama F.Marinos (Japan)
There is a lot of Aussie connections with J1 League runners-up F.Marinos. The Japanese giants are coached by Melbourne Victory great Kevin Muscat, who replaced Ange Postecoglou after his switch to Celtic. Fellow Australians and A-Leagues alumni Shaun Ontong and Ross Aloisi are also part of the coaching staff, as well as physical performance coach Greg King. It will be a reunion for Sydney and F.Marinos, who met in the 2020 ACL. Postecoglou’s F.Marinos won 4-0 before Sydney earned a 1-1 draw in the reverse group-stage fixture.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai (Vietnam)
The Mountain Town are the hosts in this group. Hoang Anh Gia Lai come into the tournament as Vietnam’s sole representative, having topped the 2021 V.League 1 standings before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two-time Vietnamese champions, they last featured in the ACL in 2005, though they did not make it beyond their group.
Fixtures:
April 16 (April 17 AEST)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Sydney FC
Thong Nhat Stadium
Kick-off: 9.00pm (12.00am AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 19
Sydney FC v Hoang Anh Gia Lai
Thong Nhat Stadium
Kick-off: 6.00pm (9.00pm AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 22 (April 23 AEST)
Sydney FC v Yokohama F.Marinos
Thong Nhat Stadium
Kick-off: 9.00pm (12.00am AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 25
Yokohama F.Marinos v Sydney FC
Thong Nhat Stadium
Kick-off: 6.00pm (9.00pm AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
April 28 (April 29 AEST)
Sydney FC v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Thong Nhat Stadium
Kick-off: 9.00pm (12.00am AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
May 1
Hoang Anh Gia Lai v Sydney FC
Thong Nhat Stadium
Kick-off: 6.00pm (9.00pm AEST)
TV: 10 Play/Paramount+
