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Through the 2020 AFC Champions League group stage, we will bring to you the updates on all three of Johor Darul Ta’zim’s opponents in Group G.
JDT will kickstart their 2020 campaign in the biggest and most elite club competition in Asia on 12 February where they will take on Vissel Kobe at Noevir Kobe Stadium. Here’s a round-up of what’s been happening with Vissel as well as the other two clubs competing with JDT for the places in the knockout stage of the competition.
Vissel Kobe
Since winning the Emperor’s Cup on New Year’s Day, there has been plenty of changes as the club with German Thorsten Fink given his second year in charge of the club. David Villa has retired while Lukas Podolski and Wellington have moved on from the club with former Shimizu S-Pulse striker Douglas being brought in as replacement.
Another big name player in former Arsenal and Barcelona centre back Thomas Vermaelen is one that has remained with the club alongside Andres Iniesta. The Belgian international is raring to go again and intends for Vissel to have a memorable ACL campaign.
“I think the team is in good shape. I was able to win the practice game. I think I got a good start because the campsite was in a wonderful environment. Last season I won the Emperor’s Cup and got my first club title. We need to take this step up to fight in the ACL and get the results,” said Vermaelen in an interview with DAZN.
Guangzhou Evergrande
Guangzhou is the team in the group with argubaly the worst pre-season as the outbreak of the coronovirus has impacted their planning. They were supposedly to played Shanghai Shenhua on 5 February in the Chinese Super Cup, an annual match to kickstart a new season but that match has been postponed.
The Chinese Super League has also been postponed from it’s original start date of 22 February with no replacement date in mind. Not to mention that Guangzhou will not be part of any of the first three ACL group stage matches because of the virus.
Suwon Bluewings
Kim Min-woo has returned to the club after spending two years away on military service but lost Kim Gun-hee who has gone the other way. But stalwarts for head coach Lee Lim-saeng last season like Hong Chul and Adam Taggart has remained with the club for another season.
Beefing up the squad for the new season are Canadian international Doneil Henry who is a center back by trade. He moves over from Vancouver Whitecaps in the USA Major League Soccer and 29-year-old Bosnian striker Sulejman Krpic who joins from FK Željezničar Sarajevo. Suwon will not be involved in the first match day of the ACL after their match against Guangzhou has been postponed.
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