The AFC Champions League Elite East Region opener between Melbourne City FC and Sanfrecce Hiroshima is heating up at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. With the match underway since 07:45 UTC (17:45 local), visitors Sanfrecce Hiroshima have snatched a slender 1-0 lead due to a clinical penalty from Marcos Junior in the 52nd minute.
Halftime: Tense 0-0 Draw Sets Up Dramatic Restart
The first 45 minutes delivered end-to-end action but no breakthroughs, ending 0-0 at the break. Melbourne City, under Aurelio Vidmar, controlled patches with their high-energy pressing, registering five shots to Hiroshima’s three while ceding 58% possession to the Japanese side’s patient build-up. Key moments included a curling effort from City’s Jesús Macarena that forced a smart save from Hiroshima keeper Osaki Takuma, and a probing run by Shuto Nakajima that tested Jamie Young’s resolve in the home goal.
52′ – Penalty Drama: Marcos Junior Strikes for 1-0 Lead
Just seven minutes after the restart, the deadlock shattered. A VAR-reviewed challenge in the City box— involving Curtis Good tangling with Ryotaro Meshino—prompted referee Alireza Faghani to award a penalty at the 51st minute mark. Up stepped Marcos Junior, the 33-year-old Brazilian talisman, who coolly converted low to Young’s right for his third goal of the season.
The strike sent Hiroshima’s traveling fans into ecstasy, giving the J1 League contenders a vital away advantage. City, stung by the concession, immediately ramped up the tempo, but Skibbe’s back three held firm, nearly extending the lead through a Nakajima breakaway in the 65th.
