The Australian side were eliminated at the group stage last year but remained unbeaten in Melbourne. Indeed, despite having only reached the last 16 once (in 2016), they have not lost in front of home support since the 2011 group stage.

Currently third in the A-League, Melbourne are on a four-game winless run domestically and go into the match on the back of a 2-0 loss to Newcastle Jets at the weekend.

The Japanese side were crowned continental champions for the first time when they defeated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Persepolis 2-0 on aggregate last November, but only advanced to the 2019 edition after seeing off Australia’s Newcastle Jets in the play-off round.

Kashima have picked up just one point from their first two games in this season’s J.League, but go into the match with Johor on the back of a 1-1 draw against defending champions Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.

After winning promotion from the second tier in 2017, Gyeongnam enjoyed a superb campaign last year in which they finished second in K League 1 to advance to the continental competition for the first time.

The tournament newcomers also got off to a winning start in their current domestic season after recording a 2-1 victory against former continental champions Seongnam FC on Friday.

A host of big names will make their AFC Champions League bows, while no fewer than eight former winners will be on show. Ahead of the first round of fixtures, the-AFC.com picks out five things to look out for.

Striker Sebastian Tagliabue is eyeing a deep run in the 2019 AFC Champions League for his team Al Wahda, ahead of their opening Group B clash against PFC Lokomotiv of Uzbekistan.

The Abu Dhabi-based club have failed to make the knock-out stages in each of their six previous attempts, which included five group stage exits and one elimination at the play-offs in 2015. Their last appearance in the latter stages of the competition saw them reach the semi-finals in 2007.

Holders Kashima Antlers will be among the main draws, while Groups E to H feature a total of five former champions and three debutants in what promises to be an exciting round of fixtures.

In the above slideshow, you will find all 29 designated home grounds for use in this year's edition of the tournament, ranked in order from largest to smallest capacity.