Yokohama F. Marinos vs Shanghai Port

Yokohama F. Marinos will aim to reach the AFC Champions League quarter-finals as they entertain Shanghai Port at the Nissan Stadium in the return leg of their last-16 tie, harboring a 1-0 aggregate lead.

Yokohama’s narrow victory in the first leg doesn’t mean they can take this rematch lightly, considering it barely served to end their three-match winless run in all competitions (D2, L1). But despite drawing their last three home outings, the hosts can take confidence from a six-game unbeaten run on home soil (W3, D3), knowing another stalemate would catapult them into the quarter-finals. Low scoring has been a common theme in Yokohama’s recent home fixtures, as the last four have featured under 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for another uneventful contest. Furthermore, three of Yokohama’s four historic meetings with Shanghai have followed this pattern, with the Marinos emerging victorious on three occasions (L1).

On the other hand, Shanghai Port must snap a three-game scoreless run in the Champions League to stand a fighting chance in this tie. However, Kevin Muscat’s side failed to score in the first leg and generated a dismal 0.37 xG, testifying to their clueless attacking approach. If it’s any consolation, they had won back-to-back domestic fixtures beforehand, suggesting Muscat could still get the better of his former employers in this ‘make or break’ showdown. That’s a long shot, though, with Shanghai losing three of their four away matches in this season’s Champions League (W1), conceding at least three goals in each defeat!