Wanderers start defence in Japan

Western Sydney Wanderers want to improve the A-League’s standing in Asia even more as they look to defend their AFC Champions League title.

Title-holders Western Sydney Wanderers will begin their AFC Champions League (ACL) defence with a trip to Japan to face Kashima Antlers, while runners-up Al Hilal host Lokomotiv Tashkent.

Wanderers defeated Al Hilal 1-0 on aggregate in November to become the first Australian club to become Asian champions, and Tony Popovic’s side return to the competition in Group H, which also includes Kashima, Guangzhou Evergrande and FC Seoul.

Western Sydney’s first test is away to the Antlers on Wednesday and, although the Wanderers have been struggling on the domestic front to sit bottom of the A-League, Popovic cannot wait to test his team on the continental stage.

Evergrande will host Seoul in the other Group H match.

Western Sydney off to winning start

A 3-1 win over Kashima Antlers gave defending champions Western Sydney Wanderers a winning start to the AFC Champions League on Wednesday.

Defending champions Western Sydney Wanderers made a winning start in the AFC Champions League with a 3-1 victory over Kashima Antlers on Wednesday.

Nearly four months after their triumph over Al Hilal in last season’s final, the Wanderers secured up an impressive victory in Japan thanks to two goals in the final five minutes.

After a goalless first half the Australian side took the lead thanks to a Gen Shoji own goal, but Kashima thought they had secured a point after Shoma Doi’s leveller.

However, Yojiro Takahagi and Mark Bridge struck in the last five minutes to seal victory for Tony Popovic’s side in a dramatic finish to their opening Group H opener.