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Melbourne City will welcome Sanfrecce Hiroshima to the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in their AFC Champions League Elite campaign opener on Tuesday. City are back in the competition after a season, while Sanfrecce will play in the competition for the first time since 2019.
The hosts were last in action in the Australia Cup round of 32 in July and lost 2-0 to semi-professional club APIA Leichhardt. They have never made it past the group stage of the Champions League and will look to improve upon that record.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last two games and were held to a 1-1 draw by Kyoto Sanga in the J1 League last week. They played in the Champions League Two last season and were eliminated from the quarterfinals. They had won the first leg 6-1 against Lions City Sailors, but since they fielded an ineligible player, they had to forfeit the match.
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Melbourne City vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will meet for the first time.
- City have met a Japanese team just twice in competitive games thus far and were held to draws by Ventforet Kofu in the two meetings in the 2023–24 Champions League group stage.
- The visitors have squared off against Australian teams 10 times in all competitions. All of these games have produced conclusive results, with Sanfrecce having seven wins.
- Sanfrecce met an A-League side, Sydney FC, in the group stage of the Champions League Two last season and won both the home and away meetings, with a 3-1 aggregate score.
- City failed to score in their home meeting against Kofu in the Champions League in 2024.
- Hiroshima have lost just one of their last seven games in the Champions League.
Melbourne City vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima Prediction
Hearts are back in the Champions League following a season, after winning the A-League Grand Final in May. Notably, they were eliminated from the group stage in 2024, and their two wins that season were registered away from home.
Viola have lost just one of their last six away games across all competitions, with that defeat registered in the J League Cup earlier this month. Notably, they have scored at least two goals in four of their last six away games.
City play for the first time this season and might be a bit rusty. With that in mind and considering the visitors' four-game winning streak against A-League teams, we back Sanfrecce to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Melbourne City 1-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Melbourne City vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Sanfrecce Hiroshima to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: Both teams to score - Yes
Tip 4: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
