The opening day loss was a bitter pill to swallow for Johor Darul Ta'zim as it was their second successive defeat to Buriram United, with the Thai side having ended the Malaysian champions' 2024/25 campaign in the Round of 16.

They will be determined to bounce back in style but have generally found Japanese teams hard nuts to crack, with Johor Darul Ta'zim winless in their last seven games in the competition against teams from the East Asian nation (D1 L6), failing to score in each of the last five of these matches.

Machida marked their continental debut with a point against FC Seoul and will head into the match full of confidence.

While the J1 League title looks out of reach, they have enjoyed a consistent season and have the players who can take them over the finishing line against Johor Darul Ta'zim.

Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) v FC Machida Zelvia (JPN)
Venue: Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (Iskandar Puteri)
Kick-off: Tuesday, 20:15 (UTC+8)