@ShababHossain13

Melbourne Victory will kick off their Asian Champions League against Korean side Daegu FC at AAMI Park on Tuesday night as they hope to progress from a group far more forgiving than that of last year.

Alongside Daegu, Victory’s group also includes the Chinese giant Guangzhou Evergrande and Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Daegu, who are also known as the Sky Blues, are likely the weakest of the three teams but they should still not be taken lightly by the Australian Champions as at their best they can upset the strongest of teams.

What’s there to know about Daegu FC? Here’s a closer look at their 2018 season and an in-depth analysis of the team’s strengths and weaknesses for Victory to potentially exploit.

2018 Season

Daegu had quite an average season in the league, finishing seventh out of the 12 Korean teams. However, they are not as bad as the table suggests, only falling four points short of the fourth place team in a highly competitive mid-table battle.

They are certainly a team on a rise too. After starting the season with only one win in their first 14 matches, they shot up the table in the second half to take 13 wins from the rest of the season, indicating they might even make a serious run at the title this year around, though a top-half finish would probably be considered a success.

Their qualification to the Champions League came through an unlikely run in the Korean FA Cup where they toppled Sydney FC group rivals, Ulsan Hyundai, in a comfortable 5-1 win over two legs.

This has led them to their first ever appearance in Asia’s most prestigious club competition and their manager, simply known as Andre, will be keen to ensure they are not merely adding the numbers in this group.

Player to watch out for

Daegu rely on the individual brilliance of Cesinha to lead the charge in attack and he is a key cog to everything they do, both scoring goals and creating them.

Eight goals and eight assists is testament to that fact, and at 29 years of age, the Brazilian might be ready to stand out in the biggest competition he’ll likely play in his career.

Although he starts in a centre-forward position, he plays more as a deep-lying forward rather than an out and out striker, pulling defenders out of position as he moves into the midfield.

Cesinha also has a penchant for the spectacular, and it’s important not to give him time on the ball, as he has often proved that he can score goals from range. Five of his eight goals came from outside the box, with the other three being penalties, emphasising his accuracy from distance.

Tactical overview

Daegu are quite versatile with their formations, often flipping between several formations between matches and even during them. However, you can always count on Cesinha and Edgar Silva spearheading their attacks and they often combine to wonderful effect.

Unlike many other Korean sides you usually see in Asian tournaments, Daegu are not as desperate for possession, with the lowest average ball possession in the league of 2018 at 44.2%. Unsurprisingly, they also have the fewest passes too, but they are still able to make it count when they have the ball.

Interestingly, even with the lowest possession, the Korean Sky Blues have still taken the second-highest number of shots, but the fact they are the second least accurate with them hitting the target at 31.2% suggests their shooting positions are not ideal.

Typical of a team that plays the majority of their game without the ball, their goals are usually scored on the counter or from set-pieces. Victory would be well-advised to ensure they don’t throw too many players forward in attack and spend enough time developing a coherent strategy in set-pieces.

Defensively, the Korean Sky Blues are quite leaky, with the fourth highest number of goals conceded in the league. They play with a relatively high-line and so it’s possible to exploit the space they leave in behind the defence with pace and a precise passer.

With the likes of Japanese legend Keisuke Honda to find the right pass and Elvis Kamsoba and Kenny Athiu to run in behind, Melbourne have exactly that.

Another method which Muscat could employ is giving his players more freedom when attacking to take on their marker and try to dribble past them. Against a structured defence, one of the best ways is using technical skills to beat the defence and create space that way.

Muscat’s team seem well-equipped heading into the match, so they should be confident but not complacent as they endeavour to make a serious run in Asia this season.

Miscellaneous facts

Much like the rest of East Asia, the K League season is just getting underway now, with Daegu drawing 1-1 against last season’s champions Jeonbuk Motors on the weekend.

last season’s champions Jeonbuk Motors on the weekend. Andre has clear faith in his young players stepping up for the big occasion with the team having youngest average age in the K League at 25.3.

When Victory travel to Daegu in a few weeks time, they will be playing in the side’s new stadium DGB Daegu Bank Park which has been opened only this season.

You might remember the Korean World Cup goalkeeper, Jo Hyeon-Woo, who left the tournament to plenty of plaudits from spectators around the globe. He is the starting goalkeeper for Daegu FC, so don’t be surprised if he makes a couple of spectacular saves to deny Victory.

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