Kitchee seeks revenge against Kashiwa Reysol in AF

After suffering a heartbreaking loss against Kashiwa Reysol in last week’s AFC Champions League 2018, Kitchee will seek revenge on Wednesday evening when the two sides meet up once again in the competition, this time in Hong Kong. The highly-anticipated Group E fixture will take place in Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday evening and fans should not miss out on the thrilling action. While Kitchee might have lost all its games in this year’s AFC Champions League group stage, yet there is not denying that the Blues have steadily improved in each and every fixture. Despite currently lying in the basement of Group E, Kitchee will now take on Kashiwa Reysol once again, who only narrowly defeated the Blues last week in Japan. Powered by passionate home support, the strong-willed Kitchee troops will no doubt give it their best shot and aim to obtain the team’s first point in the tournament. Veteran striker Jorge Tarres missed last week’s trip to Japan while regaining fitness but has looked fit to contend for a place in the squad this time around; while the injured Fernando Recio has also stepped up his treatment, fighting hard to get fit. Midfielder Huang Yang’s injury absence will definitely hamper the Blues’ chances but with the team gradually improving and spirits remain high, Kitchee might just have enough to surprise the visitors. Defender Kim Bong Jin points out that Kashiwa Reysol did manage to create a lot of pressure for Kitchee last week, hence the Blues will need to step up its defensive game despite having home field advantage. “Kashiwa Reysol plays a very different game than our two other group opponents,” Kim observed. “They like to penetrate from the middle and their combination plays are often lethal, giving us lots of pressure last week. Now that we are playing in the larger surface in Hong Kong Stadium, we must try to fill up the middle of the pitch and try to nullify their attacking threats.” Goalkeeper Guo Janqiao, who performed admirably between the sticks for Kitchee last week, is grateful for the supporters who made the long trek to Japan to support Kitchee. The sure-handed custodian hopes the fans can continue their support by filling up the Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday night. “We had a lot of backing last week in Japan and as a playing member, the non-stop cheering sound throughout the game certainly got me very excited,” Guo reflected. “Hopefully, the fans can continue their support on Wednesday night and help us to create a genuine home field advantage.”