Sitting 10 points clear at the top of the Hyundai A-League ladder, the Sky Blues kick off their 2020 AFC Champions League campaign in Tokyo on Wednesday night (kick off 9:30pm AEDT).
Get to know more about Wednesday’s opponents, J1 League Champions Yokohama F.Marinos, coached by former Socceroos Head Coach Ange Postecoglou:
How did they qualify?
The Marinos received automatic AFC Champions League Qualification when they clinched the J1 League Championship on the final day of the season.
What is their history in the AFC Champions League?
Ange Postecoglou took the side to its first AFC Champions League campaign since 2014, making it their fourth appearance in the competition in the club’s history.
Each time they have failed to qualify past the group stage and in 2014 they finished last in their group by one point; with two wins, one draw and three losses.
Who are their key players?
In the recent transfer window, Yokohama secured the signature of Thailand International Theerathon Bunmathan from Thai club Muangthong United. Bunmathan has played 64 games for the Thailand National team, as well as enjoying a loan stint with fellow Japanese club Vissel Kobe.
Forward Marcos Junior is also a player to watch. The Brazilian signed for the Marinos at the start of the 2019 season where he scored 15 goals in 33 games for the club.
Teruhito Nakagawa is a stand out in the attacking third, with the Japanese forward bagging 15 goals in the league, equalling his teammates tally to claim the Golden Boot award.
Interesting Statistics:
This will be the first ever game between the two sides in the competition. The game will be played at Nissan Stadium, the only ground in Asia to have hosted the FIFA Club World Cup Final.
Yokohama have won four of their last five home games in the competition, winning the last two in a row. They have never managed three consecutive home wins in the competition.
The side has already played one game in the 2020 AFC Champions League, winning their first group stage match against Korean Champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC. The game finished 2-1.
They are also one of two clubs who have competed in Japan’s top flight of football in every year since its inception in 1982. The club was founded in 1972 and were originally called ‘Nissan Motors FC’.
