Diego Forlan is danger man, Marcello Lippi warns
Guangzhou Evergrande coach is cautious over ex-United striker as Cerezo look for good start in last-16 clash of Asian Champions League
Guangzhou Evergrande's AFC Champions League clash with Cerezo Osaka could easily be billed as Marcello Lippi, 2006 World Cup champion, versus Diego Forlan, Golden Boot winner from South Africa 2010.
Instead, though, the first leg of the round-of-16 clash in the continental club championship at Osaka's Nagai Stadium on Tuesday night is as much a rematch between Lippi and the man on the opposing team's bench, Ranko Popovic.
Former Manchester United striker Forlan has been slow to make the expected impact since joining Osaka in January, although his winner against Shandong Luneng in the final round of group ties secured Cerezo's progress to the knockout stages.
But while the focus of many will be on the veteran Uruguayan, Lippi is paying just as much attention to the man sitting on the home team's bench.
"We are facing a great team with a top-class player in Diego Forlan," said Lippi, who aims to take Guangzhou into the quarter-finals for the third season in a row. "Cerezo are a well-organised team, just like the other Japanese teams we have faced.
We are facing a great team with a top-class player in Diego Forlan. Cerezo are a well-organised team, just like the other Japanese teams we have faced
"My counterpart in the Osaka team was the head coach of FC Tokyo when we eliminated them three seasons ago in a difficult game. This time we have a two-leg challenge and we need to show our real quality."