AFC Champions League football returns for matchday three this week, and high-flying Sydney FC are in action. After Central Coast Mariners’ 3-2 loss to Kevin Muscat’s Shanghai Port in AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday night, Wednesday sees Sydney face J1 League leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima in AFC Champions League Two. Star-studded Sydney are two from two in ACL Two, while they earned bragging rights over Western Sydney Wanderers in the opening round of the Isuzu UTE A-League season. Sydney FC are two from two to start their ACL Two campaign, but their biggest test awaits in Group E on Wednesday night. Ufuk Talay’s Sydney make the trip to Japan to face J1 League league leaders and title hopefuls Sanfrecce Hiroshima midweek. With former Melbourne City star Tolgay Arslan playing a key role, Sanfrecce are a point clear atop the standings in Japan’s top tier. “He was a very good player last year in the Isuzu UTE A-League,” said winger Joe Lolley when discussing the threat Arslan poses to Sydney FC ahead of the game. “I know obviously they’re top of the J1 League as well so we’re expecting a very tough test, a very high standard and a quality team so it will be a really good test. He added: “It will be interesting to see where we’re at and how we’re competing. We’ll go in with our same intensity and desire to win the game.” The matchup pits two teams with perfect records against each other. Sydney come into the game having disposed of Eastern (5-0) and Kaya FC (4-1) before edging city-rivals Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 in an opening-round Isuzu UTE A-League Derby. But the big question is can Sydney get the job done against Japanese opposition? In 14 previous meetings against Japanese clubs in AFC competition, the Sky Blues have never won, losing nine games and drawing on five occasions. “Really excited to play against one of the top teams in Japan,” Sydney defender Alexandar Popovic told reporters. “It’s a good opportunity, for not only myself but the team, to make a big impact on Asian football.” Popovic added: “We want to impress, we want to show who Sydney FC are and stamp some authority in the Champions League.” This season’s Sky Blues, however, look a formidable thread with the arrival of Brazilian superstar Douglas Costa, along with former Celtic striker Patryk Klimala, ex-Serie A midfielder Leo Sena and Anas Ouahim. The new faces are helping ease the creative burden on Englishman Joe Lolley. “I think it takes away the pressure of Joe actually trying to do everything with the ball and without the ball,” Talay told reporters in the aftermath of the Sydney Derby when asked what impact signings such as Costa and Ouahim will have on Lolley’s game. “We’ve got those players that can hurt you and we still have Joe that’s very influential in what he does. I thought he had a great game tonight (Saturday). Probably could have got a couple more if he didn’t slip on that last one in the second half. We sat down at the end of last season and thought through and went through the process of what we believe could create a team that could challenge for the title. And that’s the type of players we tried to bring in.” As for Sanfrecce, they enter the matchup having suffered a surprise 2-1 loss away to Shonan Bellmare. It snapped their five-game winning streak and six-match unbeaten match across all competitions as the J1 League title race was thrown wide open. Since joining Sanfrecce from Melbourne City this year, Arslan has scored seven goals in 10 league appearances. Kick-off to Sydney’s third ACL Two fixture is 9:00pm AEDT on Wednesday, October 23 at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, Japan. You can catch all the action from Sanfrecce Hiroshima v Sydney FC LIVE and FREE on 10 Play. Sydney coach Ufuk Talay believes his side have nothing to lose with the squad that he has available. They do not have an easy task ahead of them, taking on the Japanese J-League leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan, however the Head Coach believes if they stick to their principles they can get the job done. “Playing in Asia is never easy. The journeys that you have to do to play some matches are long but for us the most important thing is that we focus on what we need to do and how we need to play. We’re not focused on individuals or the opponent, more focused on what we need to do to get the desired outcome,” he said. “But when you’re young, everything is achievable, especially with the players we have.” The Sky Blues are coming off the back of a thrilling Sydney Derby win on Saturday night at CommBank Stadium and Ufuk Talay assured that the team are looking fresh and did all the right things heading into this one. “We are very excited to be here in Hiroshima and we’re excited about playing tomorrow’s occasion against a team that’s doing very well in their domestic competition. We made a good start to our league campaign and we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s game and hopefully we can get a similar outcome,” Talay added. “We’ve done very well in the time that we have been here and the boys have had a good recovery day in between the travel. We had a good session on the pitch before and it’s very important that we implement our beliefs into the game and hopefully get the desired outcome,” he concluded. The game is part of a busy week for the Sydneysiders, who following the match will fly straight to New Zealand for Sunday’s A-League battle with newcomers Auckland FC at Go Media Stadium. “We’ll assess things after the game (on Wednesday night), and if we need to make tweaks, we’ll make tweaks for the game in Auckland,” Talay said. ## Sydney FC’s Key Players to Watch Sydney FC boast a squad filled with talented players. ### Joe Lolley: Joe Lolley, a winger with a strong track record, will be key to breaking down Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s defense. His ability to create scoring opportunities will be crucial for Sydney’s success. ### Douglas Costa: The arrival of Brazilian superstar Douglas Costa has added an extra dimension to Sydney’s attack. Costa’s experience and creativity could be the difference-maker against a tough Sanfrecce Hiroshima team. ### ## Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s Threat Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a formidable opponent. ### Tolgay Arslan: Former Melbourne City star Tolgay Arslan is a key player for Sanfrecce Hiroshima. His experience and ability to create scoring opportunities will pose a significant threat to Sydney FC. ## A Historic Challenge Awaits The Sky Blues will need to be at their best if they are to overcome the challenge of Sanfrecce Hiroshima. This match will be a true test of Sydney’s mettle on the Asian stage. The clash between Sydney FC and Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a captivating encounter. This game presents an opportunity for the Sky Blues to make history. A win in Japan would mark a significant milestone in their AFC Champions League Two journey.