Shanghai SIPG head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says his team will be at a disadvantage when they play A-League champions Melbourne Victory in the Australian heat on Wednesday night.
The Chinese Super League (CSL) giants open their AFC Champions League campaign with a Group G game in the Victorian state capital.
And Eriksson could be excused for being wary of facing up to Australian opposition for the first time since seeing his England team suffer a famous home defeat 13 years ago.
In February 2003, England lost 3-1 to the unfancied Socceroos in a friendly at Upton Park where current Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat came on as a second half substitute. The English were captained by David Beckham and gave an international debut to 17-year-old Wayne Rooney.
Just like that night in East London, he expects his Australian opponents to be hungry and competitive.
"[Melbourne Victory] are a very aggressive team, they put pressure on and will put pressure on us everywhere on the pitch, they are good in counter-attacks, they have some really good players, organised," Eriksson told outside90.com.
"It's the first time, after we played the Thai team, that we have played a team from other parts of Asia, so it's a new experience."
With China in the middle of a frigid winter, Shanghai SIPG arrived in Australia on Sunday to get used to the hot conditions. A match day temperature of 30 degrees Celsius is predicted for Tuesday.
Melbourne Victory are battle-hardened from a tough A-League campaign while the CSL season doesn't start until next month.
"It is a disadvantage that we are not used to competitive games yet, we have not begun the league," Eriksson said.
"But it is not an excuse.
"We were in Gran Canaria (Spain) for a training camp for almost three weeks.
"The climate there was a little bit like this, so no [I'm not worried]."
Shanghai SIPG booked their place in the ACL group stages after easing past Thailand's Muang Thong United 3-0 in a qualifier on Feb. 9.
With goals in each half, midfielder Wu Lei was the hero, but his former Chinese international teammate Sun Xiang has been ruled out of the game.
"The captain will not start tomorrow," Eriksson said.
"The captain, he's injured. He will be ready for the next game."
SIPG, who finished second in the 2015 CSL, will look to Ghana international striker Asamoah Gyan for inspiration as well as ex-Argentina U20 midfielder Dario Conca, who scored the second goal against Muang Thong.