The official press conference for both teams was held before Antlers' official practice.
Antlers were represented by Coach Oiwa and Shō Ito. Guangzhou Evergrande were represented by Coach Cannavaro and Talisca.
Coach Go Oiwa
"Although we are playing the first leg away, I want to play a game that will allow us to return home in a good position. We need to defend well and score an away goal. I want to go into the match with these things firmly in mind."
Shō Ito
"I am fully aware of the importance of an away goal, as we saw in the previous match and in the Round of 16, so I want to give 100% and play a good game."
Coach Cannavaro
"The ACL is completely different from the league, and it is very difficult in the sense that we have to play against many strong clubs. Tomorrow's opponent is the defending champion, and they have strong and aggressive players. We want to do our best to get the desired result in our home game."
Talisca
"Under the coach, we have been training well and preparing properly according to the schedule for the match. Kashima Antlers are a very tough opponent and an aggressive team. Tomorrow is our home game, so many fans and supporters will fill the stadium. We want to play with confidence to achieve a good result."
The official practice was open to the media for the first 15 minutes only, during which warm-up exercises and passing drills were conducted. To get a feel for the pitch, the players dribbled, passed, and kicked long balls across the entire field.
After the official practice, we conducted interviews with the media.
After dinner, Mr. Stojković and former Antlers player Igor visited us at our accommodation.
Mr. Stojković fought alongside Coach Oiwa in Nagoya and is currently the coach of Guangzhou R&F. Igor, the son of Alcindo, currently plays for Kitchee in the Hong Kong League and was named league MVP last season.
