In the matchday 4 of the AFC Champions League on 5 and 6 April, Urawa Reds will host the reigning champion Guangzhou Evergrande (China) while Gamba Osaka will face Shanghai SIPG (China), who are led by former England National Team coach Eriksson, at home. Sanfrecce Hiroshima will take on the Thai league champion Buriram United, and F.C. Tokyo will meet Jiangsu FC, who are currently on top of the Chinese Super League standings away.

Urawa to face reigning champs

Urawa will have to finished at least second to get through their group. They've faired 1-1-1, tying with Pohang Steelers with four points, but they lost to Pohang in a head-to-head match, so they sank in the third place in Group H.

Urawa rallied back from two-goal deficit as their own MUTO Yuki and KOROKI Shinzo scored goals against Evergrande away to end the game in a 2-2 draw. Koroki, who scored a goal against Kofu in the J1 on 1 April, has recorded a goal for four games in a row, guiding the offence of the league-leading Urawa.

Evergrande captured the ACL championships in 2013 and last year while they finished in the quarterfinals in 2012 and 2014, so they've advanced to the knockout stage in every single time they competed.

In the second year under former Brazil National Team coach Felipe Scolari, Evergrande have not posted a win with two losses and one draw and sank in the fourth place in the group. In the domestic league, they've been in the third place with a 2-1 record, helped by newly-acquired Colombian forward Jackson MARTINEZ, who scored goals for three games in a row.

In order to bounce back to qualify through the group stage, Evergrande are going to come against Urawa with their back against the wall. If defender KIM Young Gwon and China PR National Team defender ZHANG Linpeng will return from injuries, they will provide the team defensive solidness while they will also upgrade their offence.

Both clubs faced against each other in the group stage of the 2013 edition. Urawa fell 0-3 away, but posted a 3-2 win at home that time. But Evergrande have added midfielder Paulinho and forward Goulart, both of who are Brazil National Team players, and China National Team midfielder HUANG Bowen and Urawa will have pay extra caution this time.

Gamba vie for victory

Gamba Osaka have gone winless with two draws and one loss for the third place with two points in the group so far. They advanced to the final four stage last year and to make it to the knockout stage again, they will need a win.

In a game away against Shanghai, after they allowed a lead, Gamba tied the contest with a goal from forward Patrick, but Shanghai forward Elkeson, who joined the team from Evergrande this season, netted his second goal of the day and Shanghai edged 2-1.

After they fell to Melbourne Victory away, Shanghai defeated Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Gamba at home to take the first place in the group with six points. China PR National Team forward WU Lei has been in a top shape as he has scored a pair of goals in three ACL games the club have played and another in a game in the second Asian qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the end of March. Argentine midfielder Dario Conca has also played well.

Gamba have been in a tough situation as they have dropped two games in a row after their Shanghai game in the previous match. But forward Ademilson had his first goal of the season in a game against Yokohama F. Marinos this past weekend, and Japan National Team forward USAMI Takashi has been sharp as well.

“We played aggressively, Shanghai are tough opponents, but it's important that we play our own game,” Gamba coach HASEGAWA Kenta says. “We want to bring the momentum into our hands by winning it.”

Hiroshima take on Buriram

Buriram, whom Hiroshima will face away this time, notched their first three points with a 3-0 win in the last match. FC Seoul (Korea) are currently on top of the group standing with nine points while Shandong Luneng FC (China) have earned six points for the runner-up place. It's important for the third-place Hiroshima to pile up points to not let those teams widen the gaps before Sanfrecce face them in the next matches.

Buriram have not earned any goals and points, sinking in the fourth place in the group. But their site have higher humidity and temperature, which are totally different from Japan's. Also, Buriram come aggressively when they play at home, so it'll something for Hiroshima to be careful about. Buriram have actually been unbeaten with three wins and two draws in the domestic league.

For Hiroshima, it hurts that they don't have forward ASANO Takuma for an injury, but his teammate and forward Peter Utaka has scored four goals in five games played this season, including two he had in a game against Vegalta Sendai on the 1st in the domestic league and has been sharp. It's also a plus that midfielder CHAJIMA Yusuke, who replaced Asano in the Sendai game and scored a goal.

Hiroshima have won three games in a row after they were saddled with two draws in their league matches so far, so they are certainly improving. “Our players scored goals and didn't give up goals to our opponents for the wins,” Sanfrecce coach MORIYASU Hajime says in a positive tone.

Tokyo to take on Jiangsu

Tokyo have been on a 1-1-1 record for four points, trailing the Group E-leading Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Korea) by two points, and the second-place Jiangsu by one. In their previous match against Jiangsu at home, Tokyo's defence held Jiangsu's offensive corps, which included former Brazil National Team forward Alex Teixeira, but weren't able to back of the net and ended up in a scoreless draw.

Jiangsu have been unbeaten with two wins and one draw and been in the first place in the domestic league. For the Tokyo game, defender Ramires will return from a suspension and they will supposedly come more aggressively at home this time than in their previous game.

As in their previous game, Tokyo will be required to play solid defence with the entire team around Japan National Team defender MORISHIGE Masato. Tokyo will have KOMANO Yuichi, a former Japan National Team defender, and forward HIRAYAMA Sota, both of who will come back from injuries, and the team hope forwards MAEDA Ryoichi and ABE Takuma to provide goals.

AFC Champions League 2016

27 January 2016 - 26 November 2016

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