GROUP G: MELBOURNE VICTORY V GAMBA OSAKA PREVIEW

Melbourne: Coach Kevin Muscat is determined to guide his Melbourne Victory side into the AFC Champions League Round of 16 for the first time ahead of Tuesday's visit of Gamba Osaka to Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Currently in second place in Group G but level on points with Korea Republic's Suwon Samsung Bluewings in third, Muscat's side must match or better Suwon's result at home to group winners Shanghai SIPG.

If the two sides were to finish the group with the same points, Melbourne would progress via a better head-to-head record and make their first appearance in the last 16 after four previous attempts.

“The expectations are great here,” Muscat said. “They’re even greater from within the four walls of the changing room. 

“Without doubt, we want the season to prolong and we’ve prepared accordingly. We're still here working hard and we want to do so for the next three weeks.

“We want to get out of the group for the first time in our history. Hopefully it’s a healthy crowd, it looks like being so, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Gamba arrive in Melbourne already eliminated from the competition, with the 2008 winners chasing their first win of the 2016 campaign, having tallied just two points, one of which was gained in a 1-1 draw with Melbourne in Osaka.

“Unfortunately we cannot play in this competition any more,” said Gamba coach Kenta Hasegawa.

“We have to leave this competition. It’s difficult to play in this situation but having said that we are professionals and we have to win tomorrow, we must. In this group, every team and the level is very tight so it’s a very tiny difference between the four teams.

"We had difficulty scoring and we conceded goals, which has meant we couldn’t make it to the next stage. But there has been an opportunity for every four clubs in this group.”

Asian Champions League: Melbourne Victory eye knockout stage berth as Gamba Osaka come to town

HISTORY beckons for Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Tuesday night.

And coach Kevin Muscat says qualifying for the Asian Champions League knockout stage would sit high on his club’s proud list of achievements.

Victory is in the box seat to advance to the round of 16 for the first time in five attempts ahead of their clash with the already-eliminated Gamba Osaka.

If the A-League side wins they are guaranteed to get through.

But so long as they match the result of Suwon Bluewings — who take on Shanghai SIPG at the same time in South Korea — any result could be enough.

Given the lack of incentive for Gamba, the Japanese club has left at home 10 of the players used in their J-League game against Kawasaki last Friday.

Coach Kenta Hasegawa says his team of fringe players will be more than just nuisance value.

And Muscat knows full well that that does not guarantee a result for the hosts, and to prove his point he cited last month’s example of when Brisbane failed to defeat a second-string Victory side at AAMI Park, a 0-0 draw that cost Roar the Premier’s Plate.

“It’s pretty much irrelevant,” Muscat said.

“I’m not going to start second-guessing who’s playing and who’s not, but from understanding who’s here they’ve got a very good team.

“We don’t need to look too far back. Brisbane came to town and played a so-called weaker team, but it’s not easy.

Kosta Barbarouses is sure to play another important role on Tuesday night.Source: Getty Images

“If your attitude’s not right then it’s irrelevant who the opposition is.”

Victory is expected to deploy much the same line-up it did in its last-start loss in Shanghai, where Carl Valeri, Leigh Broxham and Ollie Bozanic formed a midfield three and Besart Berisha was flanked by Kosta Barbarouses and Archie Thompson up front.

Two years ago Victory fell agonisingly short of the knockout stage and but for a controversial non-penalty call late in the last group game against Jeonbuk could have got through.

But Muscat won’t be bringing that up on Tuesday night.

“If we’re going to start claw things back that are going to give us extra motivation then we’re already beat,” he said.

“There was a commitment made from the beginning that we wanted to perform well in this competition and do something this football club has never done before.

“We want to get out of the group for the first time in our history.

“Hopefully it’s a healthy crowd and it looks like being so, so I’m looking forward to it.

“The nights in the Champions League here have been special and it’s important that we maintain that and start creating some more history in terms of making those nights even more special here in Melbourne.”