Preview: Adelaide United v Jeonbuk Motors

Adelaide United welcomes Jeonbuk Motors to Hindmarsh stadium for its knockout round of 16 match on Wednesday night.

Date: May 12
Kick-off(AEST): 8:00pm
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide

Previous Asian Champions League Appearances:
Adelaide United: Runners-up 2008, Group Stage 2007
Jeonbuk Motors: Champions 2006; Semi-Finals 2004; Quarter-Finals 2007

This Campaign
Adelaide United:
Adelaide United 1, Pohang Steelers 0, Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, February 24
Shandong Luneng 0, Adelaide United 2, Shandong Sports Centre, Jinan, March 10
Adelaide United 3, Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2, Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, March 24
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1, Adelaide United 0, Big Arch Stadium, Hiroshima, March 30
Pohang Steelers 0, Adelaide United 0, The Steelyard, Pohang, April 13
Adelaide United 0, Shandong Luneng 1, Hindmarsh Stadium, April 27

Jeonbuk Motors:
Persipura Jayapura 1, Jeonbuk Motors 4, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia, February 23
Jeonbuk Motors 1, Kashima Antlers 2, Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Korea, March 9
Changchun Yatai FC 1, Jeonbuk Motors 2, Changchun Jinkai Stadium, China, March 23
Jeonbuk Motors 1, Changchun Yatai FC 0, Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Korea, March 29
Jeonbuk Motors 8, Persipura Jayapura 0, Jeonju World Cup Staduim, Korea, April 14
Kashima Antlers 2, Jeonbuk Motors 1, Kashima Soccer Stadium, Japan, April 28

Analysis:
Adelaide United welcomes Jeonbuk Motors to Hindmarsh stadium for its knockout round of 16 match on Wednesday night.

Adelaide will be without young speedster Matthew Leckie who received his second yellow card of the competition after cynically lashing out on the last match day of the group phase.

There were also injury clouds over star play marker Marcos Flores but he appears to have fully recovered.

United welcomes back Lucas Pantelis and Daniel Mullen with the two likely to slot back into the starting XI while Adam Hughes also returns from suspension.

While the Reds started off the campaign in blistering fashion recording three wins in the opening three games, the second round of the group phase proved a much bumpier ride with two losses and a draw.

Shandon Luneng coach Branko Ivankovic claimed United is a team who plays better away from home and backed that up when he watched his side beat the Reds 1-0 at Hindmarsh Stadium on match day six.

That result left United relying on other results to secure a home final for the knockout, one-leg round of 16 match.

Coach Aurelio Vidmar’s former side Sanfrece Hiroshima obliged and recorded a 4-3 home win over Pohang Steelers to ensure United finished top.

Jeonbuk arrived in Adelaide after racking up four wins and two losses, both to group winner and early tournament favourite Kashima Antlers.

The Greens have recorded some impressive scores along the way knocking off easy beats Perispura Jayapura 8-0 and 4-1 during the group stage.

Star striker Dong-Gook Lee is in doubt and will be given until the last possible minute before a decision is made whether he is fit to play but having travelled with the squad suggests he will run out with the team.

The former Middlesbrough player, named in Korea’s preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup, injured his ankle in the Greens last domestic match, a 2-3 loss to Chunnam Dragons.

Dong-Gook is a potential match winner for the 2006 champion with the goal machine taking out last season’s K-League MVP after finding the back of the net 20 times.

Jeonbuk is also without exciting Brazilian Luis Henrique and solid defender Kim Sang-Sik who are missing through suspension.

Fellow Brazilian Eninho is a dead-ball expert and United will have no doubt done its homework on his set pieces while the Koreans have plenty of pace out wide.

Adelaide United squad: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk), 2.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 3.Nigel BOOGAARD, 4.Iain FYFE, 5.Daniel MULLEN, 6.CASSIO, 7.Lucas PANTELIS, 9.Sergio VAN DIJK, 10.Adam HUGHES, 12.Paul REID, 13.Travis DODD (c), 14.Scott JAMIESON, 15.Francesco MONTEROSSO, 17.Michael MARRONE, 18.Fabian BARBIERO, 20.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk), 23.Joe COSTA, 24.Marcos FLORES, 27.Adam GRIFFITHS

Unavailable: 8.Kristian SARKIES (broken leg – indefinite), 19.Mathew LECKIE (suspended – 1 match)

Jeonbuk Motors squad: 1.Suntae KWOUN (gk), 2.Chul Soon CHOI, 3.Jonghyun SUNG, 5.Sengjun SON, 6.Kyiungsun JIN, 7.Seung Yong KIM, 8.ENINHO, 9.Wooyeon SIM, 11.Tae-euk CHOI, 13.Hoon JUNG, 14.Yohan LEE, 15.Xiaoting FENG, 16.Kwanghoon SHIN, 17.Youhwan LIM, 18.Kwangjae LEE, 19.Kruno LOVREK, 20.Dong Gook LEE, 21.Minsik KIM (gk), 22.Hyeungbum KIM, 23.Sanghyub LIM, 26.Seo Jung Jin, 27.Jeeowng KIM, 29.Kwanghyeon LEE, 30.Namsoo LEE, 31.Jungnam HONG (gk), 33.Wonjae PARK

Unavailable: 4.Sang Sik KIM (suspended – 1 match), 10.HENRIQUE (suspended – 1 match)