Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Sanfrecce have made a solid start to the new J1 season, so it’s hard to understand why they are so heavily favored to win this game at home.
- Sanfrecce finished top of their group with 14 points, while JDT advanced with 8 points and have gone on a knockout surge.
Johor Darul Takzim
- Johor Darul Takzim hold a 3-1 aggregate advantage over Sanfrecce Hiroshima after a dominant first-leg performance.
- JDT have won five straight matches across all competitions, including big domestic victories.
Head-to-Head
Johor Darul Takzim hold a 3-1 aggregate advantage over Sanfrecce Hiroshima after a dominant first-leg performance.
Key Players
- Akito Suzuki is arguably their biggest threat from open play as he can play as a striker or on the right of midfield, having scored twice against JDT in February and often being the spark for their attacks in this competition.
- Marcos Guilherme is a dangerous wide player who pops up with goals at important times, as he did in both the group and knock-out stages of the ACL.
- Hayato Araki is a threat from set-pieces, too, coming close to scoring in the first leg.
- Ager Aketxe provides a huge spark off the bench, as he proved with a fantastic individual goal against Sanfrecce last week, and Xisco Muñoz’s high-pressing, transition-focused tactics have driven JDT’s domestic dominance and now their run in Asia.
- Bérgson da Silva will lead the line for JDT again after getting on the scoresheet in the first leg and can be a real threat to the home team’s defense.
- Ryo Germain and Kosuke Kinoshita will also be key as they have both scored crucial goals in tight games, including ACL matches.
Betting Insights
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima are 1.55 favorites to overturn a 3-1 deficit and beat Johor Darul Takzim FC in the second-leg of their AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.
- The over 2.5 goals market is almost even odds.
Prediction
- We are expecting a close, tactical clash with Sanfrecce pushing for an early breakthrough and JDT trying to manage the game and get on the counter-attack.
- The flanks and set-pieces will likely decide which way the momentum will go in the match, but JDT’s aggregate lead gives them a cushion to play with and the visitors are likely to do enough to progress.
