LIPPI BACKS DEFENDING CHAMPIONS GUANGZHOU

Coach Marcello Lippi has dismissed suggestion the difficulties defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande have faced against Australian sides in this year’s AFC Champions League will have any bearing on their quarter-final against A-League Grand Final runners-up Western Sydney Wanderers next month.

Lippi’s side enjoyed huge success on both continental and domestic fronts in 2013 after becoming the first Chinese side to be crowned continental champions in 23 years as well as winning the Chinese Super League for the third year in a row.

However, their bid to become only the fifth side to win back-to-back continental titles has struggled to hit the heights of the previous season as Guangzhou were first forced to fight back from a two-goal half-time deficit at home to the Melbourne Victory at the start of the campaign to eventually win 4-2 before losing the return fixture 2-0 in Australia.

“The injuries and absences of various players contributed some of the reasons why we lost those games earlier in the competition, however, the most important thing was that we qualified for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League,” said FIFA World Cup-winning coach Lippi, who also saw his side lose to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the group stage and Cerezo Osaka in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie.

“Every match is special and unique because of the difference in opposition each time, so the loss against Melbourne Victory earlier in the AFC Champions League does not prove anything.

“We are now investigating our opponent ahead of the quarter-finals and we know that they have changed some players from earlier in the competition, but we have enough time to analyse those players to ensure that we are fully prepared for these games.”

Following the Round of 16, Western Sydney have undergone a major overhaul with former Japan international Shinji Ono among 10 players who departed at the end of the season, with defender Brendan Hamill, Brazilian playmaker Vitor Saba and goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis joining Tony Popovic’s side.

Guangzhou, meanwhile, have had only one noticeable change although it has seen forward Muriqui join fellow AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Al Sadd in Qatar with the Brazilian replaced by Italian striker Alberto Gilardino.

Muriqui was named the 2013 AFC Champions League top scorer and tournament MVP after netting 14 goals during the campaign, before the Brazilian was also named AFC Foreign Player of the Year.

“We have pressure, but it is all positive. We are not just participating in the AFC Champions League, but we want to win the AFC Champions League. We are ready to win the remaining games in the tournament, but, of course, the other teams in the competition are also preparing for this as well,” added Lippi.

“We have gone through the same processes in the summer break as we did during pre-season to make sure we are prepared for the next part of the season.

“Although we have changed some players from the squad we had last year, I believe we are still strong enough and I hope we can be in the final again this year.”

Guangzhou will travel to Paramatta Stadium on August 20 for the first leg of their AFC Champions League quarter-final before the second leg takes place in southern China a week later with the winner of the all-Korean last eight tie between Pohang Steelers and FC Seoul waiting in the semi-finals.