Lion City Sailors-Hiroshima Sanfrecce    (lost)

Hiroshima Sanfrecce originally secured a 6-1 victory at home, which should have ended all suspense early. However, the team made a fatal low-level mistake: after leading 4-1, they fielded Germain, who was supposed to be suspended, resulting in the team ultimately having to accept a 0-3 loss penalty!

As a result, heading into the second leg, Hiroshima must launch an all-out attack to advance. The club’s goal is to win the AFC Champions League 2 title, and the team has not relied heavily on rotation in previous AFC Champions League matches. The entire club places great importance on this championship trophy, as it marks the first time in Hiroshima’s history that they have a chance to compete for a continental title.

The strength gap between the two teams is indeed significant. In the first leg, Lion City Sailors barely had any opportunity to fight back, with their only goal coming from a mistake by a Hiroshima defender. Hiroshima effortlessly achieved a 6-1 rout, and in the second leg, they certainly have not lost confidence in their ability to chase down a four-goal deficit.

Surprisingly, Lion City Sailors’ head coach Rankovic stated before the match that they would not adopt a purely defensive strategy in the second leg. His general message was that the team would not sit back for 90 minutes, as facing a team of Hiroshima’s caliber requires effort on the attacking end. They have already devised a game plan and will give their all to progress.

If Lion City Sailors opt to attack, it would undoubtedly play into Hiroshima’s hands for a comeback. Hiroshima can easily exploit the spaces behind the opponents’ defenders to score. While Lion City Sailors have two foreign players in their defense, their goalkeeper Mahbud, a local Singaporean, was heavily criticized for his performance in the first leg, earning a match-low rating of 4.9. No matter how many foreign players stand in front of him, it won’t make a difference.

It is predicted that Hiroshima can stage a major comeback and advance, potentially handing their opponents another 6-1 scoreline.