Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Yokohama F Marinos prediction, preview, team news and more

Yokohama F Marinos wil square off against Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) at Thong Nhat Stadium on Saturday in their AFC Champions League opener.

Group H action gets underway with a game between the two teams. The other two teams in the group, Jeonbuk and Sydney FC, are also in action later the same day. The Vietnamese side qualified for the competition for the first time since 2004, finishing atop the V1 League last season. This season, though, they have got off to a slow start and are without a win in four league games.

Yokohama are back in the competition this season, having finished as the runners-up in the J1 League last season.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Yokohama F Marinos Head-to-Head

This will be the first competitive meeting between the two teams across competitions.

Yokohama F Marinos form guide (all competitions): W-L-W-D-D.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai form guide (all competitions): W-D-L-D-D.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Yokohama F Marinos Team News

Hoang Anh Gia Lai

The Vietnamese side has no reported injuries to worry about for the game, and there are no suspensions for them as well. Nguyen Duc Viet and Tran Bao Toan have been called up to represent the U-23 Vietnam team at the 31st Southeast Asian Games and remain unavailable for selection.

Injuries: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspension: None.

Unavailable: Nguyen Duc Viet, Tran Bao Toan.

Yokohama F Marinos

There are no reported injuries for the Marinos, but there are doubts regarding the availability of Yusuke Nishida. A 30-man strong squad has traveled to Vietnam for the group stage fixtures, so coach Kevin Muscat has options to choose from in this game.

Injury: None.

Doubtful: None.

Doubtful: Yusuke Nishida.

Suspension: None.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Yokohama F Marinos Predicted XIs

Hoang Anh Gia Lai (4-3-3): Huynh Tuan Linh (GK); Kim Dong-Su, Le Van Son, A Hoang, Nguyen Huu Tuan; Luong Xuan Truong, Tran Minh Vuong, Vu Van Thanh; Nguyen Van Toan, Nguyen Cong Phuong, Washington Brandao.

Yokohama F Marinos Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Yohei Takaoka (GK); Katsuya Nagato, Eduardo, Shinnosuke Hatanaka, Ryuta Koike; Takuya Kida, Tomoki Iwata; Leo Ceara, Elber, Anderson Lopes; Kota Mizunuma

2 for 1 New Player Bonus at Barstool

Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Yokohama F Marinos Prediction

The hosts are without a win in the league this season but head into this game with a win in the Vietnamese Cup, albeit on penalties. Yokohama, meanwhile, are the leading goalscorers in the J1 League and should be able to bring that goalscoring form against the Mountain Town.

No Vietnamese team has ever made it out of the group stage in this competition. Given the kind of opposition HAGL face, they face a tough road ahead, and a loss for them in the campaign opener seems to be the most likely outcome.

Prediction: Hoang Anh Gia Lai 1-2 Yokohama F Marinos.

About the author

Shubham is a football journalist with a wealth of experience. It was Zidane's infamous headbutt at the 2006 World Cup final that got him hooked on to the sport. Shubham contributed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup coverage at Sportskeeda, producing match previews and even minute-to-minute live blogs. Apart from writing articles, he is adept at fact-checking and researching trends, and at communicating with the editorial team.

For all fans, he has one message: "Football is my cup of tea, let's talk football over a cup of tea."

Know More

Edited by Bhargav

Hoang Anh Gia Lai vs Yokohama F Marinos prediction, preview, team news and more | AFC Champions League 2022