Melbourne: Overcoming the disappointment from their previous AFC Champions League campaigns is at the forefront of Melbourne Victory’s agenda ahead of Wednesday’s Group G opener against China’s Shanghai SIPG, according to coach Kevin Muscat.
Melbourne have failed to qualify for the last 16 on their four previous outings in the AFC Champions League.
But after winning the A-League Premiership and Grand Final last season as well as the 2015 FFA Cup, Melbourne are out to make a positive start at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
“We are optimistic,” said Melbourne coach Muscat.
“The history is obviously the history. We’ve got an opportunity to make the next wave of history because we haven’t gotten out of the group.
"I believe, at this current campaign, that we are best positioned to do that.”
Melbourne, though, must bounce back from Friday’s 1-0 A-League defeat by Adelaide United which sees Muscat’s side currently fifth in the table and six points behind leaders Western Sydney Wanderers.
"Obviously this period of time, things haven't gone exactly how we would have liked in the domestic competition,” added Muscat, with Korea Republic’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Japan’s Gamba Osaka also drawn in Group G.
"This is a fresh challenge for us in terms of trying to get a result tomorrow night, not looking too far forward, but obviously the game that's upon is vitally important to get off to a good start, in a group that's going to be very stiff in terms of the opposition."
Opponents Shanghai, in contrast, are making their AFC Champions League debut after following up a runner-up finish in the Chinese Super League last year with a 3-0 win over Thailand’s Muangthong United in the play-offs.
And coach Sven Goran Eriksson can call on the likes of Ghana international Asamoah Gyan as well as Brazilian striker Elkeson and Argentinean midfielder Dari Conca, who have both won the AFC Champions League with China’s Guangzhou Evergrande, although Shanghai have yet to begin the new domestic Super League season.
“We have some players who have already played the Champions League in Asia – three, four - but most of the players we have in the squad have never played the Champions League so it’s a very good and new experience for a lot of them and even me, I have never played the Champions League in Asia,” said Eriksson, who is set to be without 2013 AFC Champions League winner and captain Sun Xiang due to injury.
"I am quite sure that we will play good football. If that's enough to beat them, I am not sure. It's a new experience. The strength of them, they are a very aggressive team; they will put pressure on us everywhere on the pitch.
“They are good in counterattacks, they have some really good players, they are organised, they won the league last season so we know it's going to be difficult. It's a quite different style to Chinese football, quite different.”
Photo: Melbourne Victory
Source: the-afc.com