"They still some of the same players and play a similar system to when we played them three years ago so we have some experience of playing them in 2012.
"We've studied Hiroshima as a team but we'll have to study them a bit more individually and put together a game plan that will give us a competitive performance against them," he said.
The Navy Blues build-up has been solid after an at times impressive 1-1 draw with Yokohama FC but will need to minimise their error rate against a team renowned for its solid defence and quick counter attack.
"There were good periods in that game and not so good periods in the Yokohama FC game and our players know they'll have to reach a different level again.
"We know we'll make mistakes but we've got to try and limit them. We have to keep the ball and that will give the players confidence.
"Its going to be very tough, Hiroshima play at a good level week in, week out, and they proved they can score goals in the first leg.
"We have to be patient and play to our game plan and be confident that our style of football will provide us with an opportunity to be competitive and get a positive result," he said.
Vicelich will be unable to take the field after succumbing to a niggling injury, with his input now off the pitch rather than on it.
The 39-year-old defensive midfielder stunned many when he earned a Man of the Match award against Cruz Azul then scooped the bronze ball behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, both of Real Madrid, last year.
"I've been playing for a long time, putting on the boots and seeing my name on the team sheet, but I'm enjoying the transition to coaching," he said.
Vicelich is no stranger to the underdog scenario that awaits Auckland and knows a thing or two about what characteristics will be required to pull off a shock.
"We need to show the same fight we always do and be confident and fulfil our game plan as best as we can. We know we're underdogs and we know its going to take something special to get any kind of result.
"We've got some new young players who have adapted well but we'll need our experienced heads to lead them during the game," he said.
Three years ago, Hiroshima downed Auckland City FC 1-0 with a goal midway through the second half and Vicelich says it could come down to fine details to decide a winner.
"We know we can compete at this level against top teams and that helps new players coming in because they notice that quality and then realise they can achieve a high standard as well.
"The ability is there and we realise there is a high expectation from some people but we have to be realistic about the gap we must overcome to be competitive, its huge.
"We do have self-belief and we need to grow that self-belief as much as we can but we can't be over-confident and think we're better than we are. If we can be competitive we've got a chance.
"That's why football is so good - sometimes you don't have to be the number one team to win games. The players are aware of the big responsibility that we have to represent not only our club well, but New Zealand and Oceania," he said.
The match kicks off at 11.45pm NZST on Thursday 10 December with the winner qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals against African champions TP Mazembe, a team Auckland City FC defeated 3-2 in the fifth place match in Abu Dhabi in 2009.
