Here we go!! Asian Champions League matchday 5, with everything to play for in three cases, and a mathematical chance of not being finished off, in the case of Urawa Reds?

On Tuesday (tonight, as I write), 2007 champions Urawa Reds are in dire straits at the bottom of Group G, with one point from four matches. Nothing short of a win at home to Suwon Samsung of Korea will give them ANY chance of progressing.
Suwon will be missing key defender Oh Beom Seok, who is suspended, while a familiar face to Japanese fans – Chong Tese – will be in the forward line for the Koreans.

Reds lost the away “leg” of this match 2-1 and will be hoping for a positive result this time.

Also on Tuesday, Kashima Antlers face Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia. After a victory over China’s Guangzhou Evergrande in their last match, Antlers are also in a must-win situation.

Western Sydney are the reigning ACL champions but have not shown championship form this season – at home, or in the ACL – if the Australians lose this one, they could be eliminated, depending on results elsewhere, and they will be missing suspended defender Antony Golec.

On the other hand, Antlers Samurai Blue defender Shoji Gen is also be suspended, but with an unbeaten run of four matches in J1.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Kashiwa Reysol are at home against yet another Korean club, Group D leaders, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Reysol need only a draw to clinch a spot in the Last 16.

Finally, in Group F, Gamba Osaka travel to Guangzhou R&F having won their last match away at Buriram FC in Thailand to keep qualification hopes alive. That result put them only three points off the top two, but nothing less than a victory will be what the former champions from Osaka will be looking for.

Gamba will have Patric back from suspension and Takashi Usami is on a hot streak, helping his team’s to four straight wins.