A
Set small text size
A
Set the default text size
A
Set large text size
After a hard-fought win in their last AFC Champions League Two match, Macarthur FC have climbed all the way from worst to first in Group E.
Now they will try to consolidate their position by beating the team that forced this grind as the Bulls host a rematch with Tai Po FC. Before it all kicks off in Campbelltown, let us review what these two sides have been up to and assess how Macarthur can reap the maximum rewards from this situation.
Macarthur drop Vietnam’s top cops
After fighting to a draw in Vietnam, Macarthur faced an all-important rematch with Cong An Hanoi two weeks later in Campbelltown. The Bulls started on the right foot, as 20 minutes in, Luke Vickery rushed into space in the box, drew CAHN keeper Nguyễn Filip far off to one side, then unleashed a low cross. Šime Gržan only needed to meet the ball and tap it home into a practically open net to give Macarthur the early lead.
However, ten minutes later the Police found an answer of their own. In a post-free-kick scramble, the Bulls could not clear the ball from their box, which left an opening for Leygley Adou to force it in and pull his team level. That scoreline held through half-time, despite Gržan’s efforts to claim a brace and Hanoi striker China attempting to complete the comeback just before the clock struck 45.
In the second half, Hanoi came out swinging, taking a far larger share of possession and the bulk of the shots, but without creating anything that genuinely threatened keeper Filip Kurto. That left the door wide open for the Bulls, and this team is nothing if not opportunistic. In the 75th minute, it was the Police regretting a poor clearance as Hugo Gomes’s header sent the ball more up than away. Anthony Caceres met it with a wicked one-timer that rocketed into the net and restored Macarthur’s lead. Once again, China tried to get CAHN their second goal, this time hoping to salvage a point rather than steal all three, but his best effort ricocheted off the far post. Nothing his team-mates attempted came close. The 2–1 win lifted the A-Leaguers to the top of Group E for the first time.
Catching up with Tai Po
Domestically, Tai Po’s season since beating Macarthur has gone more or less to plan. As of this writing, the Greens sit second in the Hong Kong Premier League, the middle side in a three-way tie with North District and Kitchee. They also won their quarter-finals in both the Hong Kong League Cup and Senior Shield, surviving two red cards and a penalty shoot-out in the latter. Combined with the Hong Kong FA Cup, where they already held a bye to the quarter-finals, the Greens could spend their winter planting seeds for a glorious quadruple push in spring.
A tough night for @mfcbulls as it ends in a 2-1 defeat against Tai Po ????
Their attention now turns to Matchday Two in Campbelltown against Beijing Guoan on October 2nd ????
Watch all of Macarthur’s #ACLTwo games live and exclusive on Paramount+ ???? pic.twitter.com/uN64prHZoU
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) September 18, 2025
However, Tai Po’s form outside Hong Kong has brought nothing but trouble. Yes, they beat Macarthur at home, and Michael Renner salvaged a 3–3 draw against Beijing, but their two away matches so far have both ended in 3–0 defeats. That leaves them bottom of the group with a –5 goal difference heading into this contest. Even so, they are performing far better than the other last-placed teams in the East Asian groups, all of whom are already eliminated with two matches still to play. With the margins remaining tight, stealing another win off the Bulls would drag Tai Po right back into the fight.
Keys to possible early advance
The importance of Macarthur’s home advantage cannot be overstated. Going from the humidity of Hong Kong to the familiar conditions of Sydney is already like Goku taking off the turtle shell, but Tai Po have been uniquely poor on the road compared to the rest of this group. That does not mean Macarthur are free to underestimate the Greens or play down to the competition, but it does make the road to victory considerably smoother.
At this point, we know how the Bulls intend to approach continental play. Their wins in this stage have both come through a counterpunching strategy, with Macarthur content to defend for long stretches and make bigger gains from fewer attacking opportunities. That said, if there is any chance to revisit the dominance and free-scoring style we saw from them two years ago in the AFC Cup, this would be the opponent to unleash it against. It is not a shift the Bulls should necessarily plan around from the start, but if they build momentum chance by chance, there is no reason to hold back.
As if there were not already enough incentives, a Bulls win combined with a draw in Hanoi would guarantee that Macarthur finish first in Group E. That would lift a great deal of pressure ahead of next month’s trip to China and could help set up a favourable first opponent for the Round of 16.
