Melbourne City v Sanfrecce ACL Elite preview: Details, schedule

Melbourne City will kick-off their 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite campaign against a Japanese powerhouse and a familiar face.

The Isuzu UTE A-League champions welcome Sanfrecce Hiroshima to Melbourne’s AAMI Park for the match-day one fixture on Tuesday.

The midweek clash marks, not only the start of the ACL Elite League Phase but a pair of reunions. Former City star Arslan returns to Melbourne with the J1 League side, while current City head coach Aurelio Vidmar played for Sanfrecce in 1998-99.

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Former Serie A midfielder Arslan stood out in his one and only season with City, scoring 19 goals and supplying seven assists across 34 appearances as the German claimed the club’s inaugural Scott Jamieson Medal and Players’ Player of the Year award.

Sanfrecce also boast former Macarthur Bulls captain Valere Germain.

Format, prize money & fixtures

City earned an ACL Elite berth after finishing second in 2024-25 before going on to win the Isuzu UTE A-League Championship.

The prize normally reserved for the Isuzu UTE A-League Premiers, it was the highest-placed Australian side who gained entry into the competition given Premiers Plate winners Auckland FC cannot compete due to their ineligibility for AFC tournaments. In 2024-25, just qualifying for the AFC Champions League Elite netted teams, including Central Coast Mariners, USD$800k (AUD $1.27m).

Eyeing last-16 qualification for the first time in the history of their men’s team, City’s eight matches will be played between mid-September and mid-February, with the top eight teams in the East Region League Stage progressing to the Round of 16.

City will play four matches at home – facing Sanfrecce, Thai powerhouse Buriram United, Malaysian juggernaut Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, and South Korea’s Gangwon FC – and four away, travelling to face two-time J1 League champions Vissel Kobe, Mitch Duke’s Machida Zelvia, FC Seoul and Ulsan HD.

In the last 16, each remaining club will face another club from their region – East or West – in a two-legged, home-and-away tie to decide which eight clubs progress to a centralised “Finals” campaign.

Team news

It has been a busy off-season for Vidmar’s City after conquering the Isuzu UTE A-League in May.

City – who kick-off their A-Leagues campaign against Western Sydney Wanderers on October 18 – may have farewelled Steven Ugarkovic, Harry Politidis, Arion Sulemani, Callum Talbot, James Jeggo (retired), Marco Tilio (end of loan) and Yonatan Cohen but the reigning champions have recruited strongly.

They have brought in Japanese star Takeshi Kanamori to fuel their ACL Elite campaign, along with Kosovo international Elbasan Rashani and Aussie young gun Liam Bonetig from Celtic’s youth team. Beckham Baker, meanwhile, has been promoted from the academy.

Kanamori brings Champions League-winning pedigree to City. He won the 2018 ACL Elite with Japanese giants Kashima Antlers, while 32-year-old winger Rashani arrives from Spain, where he played a role in Elche’s promotion to LaLiga in 2024-25.

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Form

This will be City’s first competitive fixture since their Australia Cup Round-of-32 loss to NPLM NSW outfit APIA Leichhardt in July.

On that night, Vidmar was without a host of stars and first-team regulars as academy prospects were given an opportunity to impress.

So this means Tuesday night’s encounter will be City’s first competitive match in almost two months.

City have twice featured in the ACL Elite, falling in the group stage on both occasions, including in 2023-24.

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As for three-time champions Sanfrecce, they are at the business end of Japan’s J1 League season and a thrilling title race. They are sixth in the standings but only four points adrift.

On the continental stage, Sanfrecce have never won the ACL Elite – failing to progress beyond the last 16. However, they did reach the AFC Champions League Two quarter-finals last season.