Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
Central Coast Mariners
Johor Darul Ta'zim
The AFC Champions League group stage is slowly drawing to a close, and in the seventh round, Central Coast Mariners will face Johor DT on Tuesday, February 11. The match kicks off at 09:00 CET, and I’m offering my pick for the winner.
Central Coast Mariners vs Johor DT: Match facts and H2H
- Central Coast has drawn its last four matches.
- Johor DT is on an eight-match winning streak and unbeaten in ten games.
- Central Coast has both scored and conceded in its last three matches.
- Johor DT has scored in eight consecutive games.
- Johor DT has conceded just one goal in its last five matches.
- Central Coast has the worst defense in the AFC Champions League, conceding 17 goals.
- Johor DT scores in both halves in 63% of its matches.
- Central Coast has not kept a clean sheet this season, while Johor DT has managed a shutout in 54% of its matches.
- Central Coast Mariners and Johor DT have never faced each other before—this will be their first meeting.
Match preview
Central Coast has endured a disappointing AFC Champions League campaign and has already lost all mathematical chances of reaching the playoffs. The team sits at the bottom of the table with just one point and two matches remaining. Even theoretically, they have no way of closing the seven-point gap to the eighth-placed team. Their recent form has been inconsistent, with four consecutive draws and their last win dating back to January 17. In their last three matches, they have both scored and conceded. In general, they have the worst defensive record in their conference, having conceded 17 goals.
Johor DT, meanwhile, is higher up in the standings but has yet to secure a playoff spot. The Malaysian side currently sits in sixth place with eight points, but the ninth- and tenth-placed teams are just one point behind. That means Johor DT must win both remaining matches to ensure a place in the knockout rounds. The team comes into this match in outstanding form, riding an eight-game winning streak and going ten matches unbeaten. They approach this clash in high spirits and with strong motivation.
Probable lineups
- Central Coast Mariners: Peraych-Kallen, Sainsbury, Paul, Kaltak, Roux, Mikael Doka, Steele, Theoharous, Imms, Edmondson, Faizal.
- Johor DT: Zubier, Lowry, Park, Natxo Insa, Murilo, Oscar, Undabarrena, Eddie Pascual, Muniz, Aiman, Bergson.
Prediction
As mentioned earlier, Johor DT is in excellent form and highly motivated to win this match. I don’t think Central Coast has many chances against this opponent, even with home advantage. That’s why I’m betting on a Johor DT win at odds of 1.5.
