Reds look to continue winning run against Sanfrecce
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Adelaide United boss Aurelio Vidmar will not allow sentiment to come between his team and three points when the A-League side host Sanfrecce Hiroshima in AFC Champions League action on Wednesday evening. The Group H clash is one of eight matchday three ties on Wednesday, following eight today (Tuesday).
Vidmar, who is listed as Adelaide's assistant coach in the competition as he does not possess an A licence, played for the Japanese club for a season in the late 1990s.
Despite the link, the former Socceroos star will still be aiming to maintain Adelaide's perfect start to the competition against Sanfrecce, who will be without injured midfielder Yojiro Takahagi as they look for their first points.
"Obviously it's a nice moment to coach against a team you played for, but I don't have a soft spot for them," Vidmar said. "I won't have any added motivation to beat them. We just want to focus on getting the three points, that's the most important thing."
Victory will move Adelaide closer to a place in the knockout phase after earlier wins over defending champions Pohang Steelers and Shandong Luneng put the Reds top of the group with six points.
Pohang will host Shandong, the three-time former Chinese champions, in the group's other fixture, where Seol Ki-hyeon could make his first AFC Champions League appearance as a Steelers player, having missed the start of the season with a knee injury. Both teams are on three points.
K-League champions Jeonbuk Motors, winners of the 2006 AFC Champions League, will be aiming to strengthen their chances of reaching the round of 16 with victory over China's Changchun Yatai in Group F. Both teams are on three points.
Group leaders Kashima Antlers, on six points, will set their sights on another win when the J.League champions entertain bottom-placed Persipura Jayapura.
Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, two-time winners of the former Asian Club Championship and Asian Cup Winners' Cup, will be looking to continue their impressive start to the competition when they host UAE champions Al Ahli in Group D.
The Riyadh club, coached by former Belgian World Cup star Eric Gerets, have won both their games so far and victory over the Emirati side would leave Al Hilal on the verge of qualifying for the knockout phase for the second year in a row.
Al Ahli have yet to pick up a point and sit three points adrift of Qatar's Al Sadd and Mes Kerman from Iran, who each have three points and meet in the group's other clash on Wednesday.
While Al Hilal are in imperious form in the AFC Champions League, fellow Saudi giants Al Ittihad will be desperate to win against another side from the UAE, Al Wahda, to enhance their hopes of playing in the next round.
After reaching last year's final, the two-time winners have disappointed so far, with a defeat at the hands of Bunyodkor followed by a home draw with Iran's Zobahan.
Al Ittihad need to revive their continental campaign in Abu Dhabi with a win against Josef Hickersberger's side and go into the game in confident mood after beating Al Hilal 2-1 in the Saudi league on Friday.
Algeria striker Abdelmalek Ziaya and Saudi Arabia playmaker Mohammed Noor found the back of the net against Al Ittihad's bitter rivals and Argentine coach Enzo Trossero will be looking for more of the same as his side aim to keep group leaders Bunyodkor in sight.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's Uzbek champions are in Iran to face Zobahan, where they'll look to maintain their perfect start to the season, which has seen them notch up wins in the domestic league over Pakhtakor and Metalourg in addition to their AFC Champions League victories over Al Ittihad and Al Wahda.
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