Coach Masatada Ishii:
"We want to play a stable game away from home and come back with a good result. We want to play our style of football from the start and for the full 90 minutes. Guangzhou Evergrande is currently in first place in their domestic league, and there's no doubt they are a very strong team. Offensively, they are potent, especially with their foreign players, and defensively, they seem to be a well-organized team."
Player Gen Shoji:
"Guangzhou Evergrande is an attacking team. Rather than pinpointing a specific player to watch out for, I think their foreign players are very strong. Those three, in particular, have a big impact on the team."
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari:
"We were able to prepare as usual. The players are in very good condition, and their recovery has been solid. I will play the players who are ready."
Player Zheng Zhi:
"Although the recovery time after the group stage and league matches has been short, we are at home, and I hope we can prepare well and achieve a good result."
The official training session began at 4 PM. It was cloudy in the morning, but the rain intensified as training started, making it a session in inclement weather. During the first 15 minutes, which were open to the public, the players were kicking the ball, seemingly getting a feel for the pitch.
