The match between Indonesia and China takes place at 8:45 p.m. ( Tonight, June 5, Vietnam time) at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
The Chinese team is currently at the bottom of Group C with 6 points and a goal difference of negative 13, forced to win to hope to qualify. Meanwhile, Indonesia is ranked 3rd with 9 points and has the home field advantage.
Chinese media suddenly revealed the starting lineup, with veteran striker Zhang Yuning teaming up with 18-year-old talent Wang Yudong. When asked about this, coach Ivankovic laughed: "We have nothing to hide. Everyone will see how we play on the pitch.
The 71-year-old coach even joked that China could field up to 4 strikers if needed. He affirmed that the whole team was aware of the great pressure, having to compete under the enthusiastic cheers of more than 70,000 Indonesian spectators.
We want to turn pressure into motivation. Indonesia has made remarkable progress with many quality naturalized players, but I believe China can make a difference, the Chinese coach emphasized.
China once beat Indonesia 2-1 in the first leg, but this rematch is much more difficult. China player Zhang Yuning also showed determination. He said: "The only result we are aiming for is a victory. Everything else is meaningless.
The Chinese squad this time is mainly made up of players playing domestically, with some new faces such as midfielder Serginho (of Brazil), Yang Mingyang (of Switzerland), and two teenage strikers Wang Yudong and Liu Chengyu.
Despite a very weak chance to continue, China is still determined to win to keep their hope in the final match against Bahrain.
