Muang Thong face mission improbable
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Thai Premier League champions Muang Thong United are still clinging to the faint hope of qualifying for the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League as they take on South Korea's K-League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the penultimate Group F fixture t
After claiming only a single point from their first four games, Muang Thong need something close to a miracle if they are to extend their debut in the continent’s premier club competition beyond the group stage.
Anything less than a win at the Jeonju World Cup stadium against Jeonbuk, who occupy the second and final qualification spot with six points, would spell an end to Muang Thong’s faltering campaign, which has seen them give away four goals in each of their last three group matches.
Even if they do clinch a win, it may not be enough to save the Thai side from elimination, as they need the result in the group’s other match, between Urawa Red Diamonds and Guangzhou Evergrande, to go in their favour.
Muang Thong, who earned automatic qualification for this year’s tournament after two previous failures in the play-offs, will be without suspended key midfielder Mario Durovski, who scored their first goal in the 2-2 home draw with Jeonbuk in February.
Nevertheless, Serbian coach Slavisa Jokanovic, who last season guided Muang Thong to their third league title in four years, says his side have no choice but to go for maximum points against the 2006 winners.
“Although we haven’t won a game in the group so far, the door is not yet closed to make it through to the next round. We hope to come away with a positive result to keep our qualifying chances alive.
“Mario [Durovski] will miss the game through suspension, while defenders Kim Yoo Jin and Thitiphan Puangjan did not travel with team due to injuries. But I am confident the squad will stick to our tactics and produce a good result,” said Jokanovic, who once played for European champions Chelsea.
Buriram United, the other Thai representatives in the competition, also face a crucial match at home today against J-League side Vegalta Sendai, but the Thai FA Cup winners are in a far better position to secure one of two qualification spots in Group E.
The winners at the I-Mobile stadium will take a significant step towards qualification,
with both sides on five points from four matches, two points adrift of pacesetters FC Seoul.
