Melbourne Victory host FC Seoul in key ACL Two clash
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Melbourne Victory host FC Seoul on Wednesday, October 14, at 6:45pm AEDT.
- Victory sit second in Group E after a draw in Vietnam. Seoul lost their opener 0-2.
- A home win would lift Victory to the top of the group.
Melbourne Victory host FC Seoul on Wednesday night. The game kicks off at 6:45pm AEDT. It is Matchday 2 of the AFC Champions League Two.
The venue is Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Victory sit second in Group E. A home win would lift them to the top.
This is a preview. It covers the key facts before kick-off.
What happened
Victory started their group run with a draw. They travelled to Vietnam to face The Cong-Viettel. Clerismario Santos scored for the visitors.
The result left Victory second in Group E. Seoul started with a shock home loss. Persib Bandung beat them 2-0 in South Korea.
That result left Seoul at the foot of the group. Both teams now need points for different reasons. Victory want to build on a solid start.
Seoul want to fix a poor start. The two clubs have met before. They shared one win each in the 2020 AFC Champions League group stage.
That history adds spice to this tie.
Victory arrive after a tough weekend. They lost the Australia Cup final to South Melbourne. The game went to a penalty shootout.
South Melbourne won the shootout 4-3. Denis Genreau scored for Victory in extra time. Max Mikkola levelled late for South Melbourne. It was the first defeat for Victory under Giovanni Savarese.
The coach will want a fast response. A home win in Asia would give one.
Victory were drawn in Group E in August. The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur. The group has four teams.
They are Victory, FC Seoul, The Cong-Viettel, and Persib. Each team plays six group games. Points now shape the final table.
Another A-League side is also in Asian action this week. Read our Newcastle Jets vs Gamba Osaka preview. Asian club football is busy this week.
See the Al-Nassr vs Neftchi Fergana AFC clash.
Team news
Victory have some team news before kick-off. Philipp Ziereis could return to the side. He missed the first group game.
He was following concussion protocol. He is now in contention for Wednesday. Louis D'Arrigo is set to miss out.
He has a minor hamstring injury. The club plans to rest him. Guillermo May could play a bigger role.
The off-season recruit played his first minutes at the weekend. He is primed for more time on the pitch.
Seoul arrive in strong domestic form. They beat Jeju SK 2-1 at the weekend. That was their 20th league win of 2026. Moon Seon-min scored in that game.
Patryk Klimala scored too. It was his 13th goal of the season. Lee Gun-hee scored for Jeju.
Seoul now need four points from seven games. Those points would seal a first league title since 2016. Their coach is Kim Gi-dong. He took charge in late 2023. Seoul have won seven of their last nine league games.
They lost to Ulsan in early September. They also lost their ACL Two opener. They fielded a young side in that game.
Why it matters
Group E is tight after one round. Victory have one point. Seoul have zero points.
Persib lead the group after their win. A Victory win would move them to four points. That would put them in a strong spot.
A Seoul win would pull them level with Victory. A draw would keep both teams in the hunt. Every point counts in a four-team group.
Home games matter most in this format. Victory must make their home games count. They have more home games to come after this one.
Seoul know that a second loss would hurt. They would face a big gap to the top. Their focus may shift soon.
They are close to a domestic title. A win here would let them rest players later. A loss would force them to fight on two fronts.
The game also matters for pride. Victory are new to this event. This is their first AFC Champions League Two run.
A win over a big Korean club would mean a lot. Seoul are six-time Korean champions. They won titles in 1985, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2012, and 2016. They have deep Asian experience.
Victory want to show they belong at this level.
FC Seoul bring a long history to Melbourne. The club formed in 1983. It started life outside the capital. It was based in Chungcheong Province.
That is about 100km south of Seoul. The club won its first title in 1985. It later moved to the capital. It now plays at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
That ground hosted games at the 2002 World Cup. Seoul hit a low point in 2018. They played a relegation play-off that year. They beat Busan IPark to stay in the top flight.
They have rebuilt since that scare. They now sit top of the K League 1. They want a first title in ten years.
Fans can also check the wider Champions League Matchday 2 schedule. It lists more midweek games from across the football world.
What happens next
Fans can plan for a full night at the ground. The Member Hub opens at 4:45pm. The Victory Shop opens at 5:15pm.
Gate 2 opens at 5:45pm. The warm-up starts at 5:55pm. Kick-off follows at 6:45pm.
Public transport is the best way to reach the ground. Fans should keep tickets handy on the AXS app. That will speed up entry.
Fans in Australia can watch on Paramount+.
After this game, Victory travel to Indonesia. They face Persib on October 28. That game kicks off at 7:15pm local time. Victory then host Persib on November 4. They host The Cong-Viettel on November 25. That game is at Kardinia Park Stadium in Geelong.
The group run ends on December 2. Victory travel to Seoul for that game. It kicks off at 7:00pm local time. The venue is Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Wednesday is a test for Victory. They face a strong side with a rich past. They also carry fresh pain from the cup final.
A win would heal that pain fast. It would also put them top of Group E. Seoul have their own prize in sight.
They want to bounce back from a poor start. Expect a tight game under lights in Melbourne.
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