AFC Champions League Match Day 7 proved to be one among disappointment for Ok League’s continental contingent. No wins, two attracts and two losses throughout the 2 competitions go away work to be executed for FC Seoul, Gangwon FC and Ulsan HD to succeed in the ACLE knockouts, whereas Pohang Steelers should earn a win in Japan to succeed in the ACL Two quarterfinals.
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AFC Champions League Elite
It proved to be a disappointing begin to 2026 forFC Seoul, dropping 2-0 to Vissel Kobe in Japan on Tuesday. There have been debuts for six gamers: Gu Sung-yun in objective, Juan Antonio Ros at centre again, Hrvoje Babec and Music Jeong-beom in central midfield, Music Min-kyu at left wing, and Leonardo Ruiz in assault, however the capital membership suffered the identical fortunes from the tail-end of 2025.
Kobe managed possession, limiting Seoul to simply two pictures on track. A scoreline of 0-0 at half time may have given Kim Gi-dong and his males some satisfaction, however targets from Muto Yoshinori and Sakai Gotoku within the area of 4 minutes, placing on 69 and 73 minutes respectively, dealt two hammer blows that Seoul could not recuperate from.
Ok League’s capital membership have their knockout qualification future in their very own arms, sitting sixth however with only a one-point lead. They face Sanfrecce Hiroshima subsequent – at Mokdong and never Sangam – of their remaining league section match. Sanfrecce will head to Korea on the again of back-to-back wins and a run of 4 unbeaten in ACL.
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Gangwon FC’s 0-0 draw with Chinese language Tremendous League champions Shanghai Port on Wednesday, on paper, represents a very good end result, however a single level earned, and now no wins in 4, leaves the Bears clinging on to the final qualification place.
Goh Younger-jun made his Bears bow as a starter, whereas Israeli striker Abdalla Halaihal got here off the bench as a late sub, changing Goh, but it surely was a recreation the place Gangwon simply could not discover a breakthrough.
Gangwon had 62% possession, 11 pictures however simply two discovered the goal, whereas Shanghai Port managed simply two pictures and neither hit the goal. Jeong Kyung-ho’s males sit eighth on eight factors and might want to go to Melbourne and beat Metropolis to ensure a spot within the knockouts.
Ulsan HD started the Kim Hyun-seok period with a 2-1 loss at residence to Melbourne Metropolis. The end result may have been a tricky one to take, owing to a late, late Melbourne winner with Marcus Younis discovering the again of the web within the 93rd minute.
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Darijan Bojanic equalised for the Horangi on 80 minutes, cancelling out Max Caputo’s Thirty seventh-minute opener, however regardless of having thetiger’s share of possession with 60% and 10 pictures, it was a second ACLE loss in succession for Ulsan.
Ulsan sit one place exterior the knockout qualification group, however stage on factors with Gangwon and Johor Darul Ta’zim. They face Shanghai Port subsequent away from residence, needing to win to advance.
AFC Champions League Two
Pohang Steelers got here from behind to earn an ACL Two Spherical of 16 draw at residence to Gamba Osaka. Yamashita Ryoya gave the J.League outfit the lead simply after the restart, however Jorge Teixeira was capable of provide a reply on 71 minutes. Nishiya Kento was the one Steelers debutant, beginning in central midfield in a 4-1-4-1.
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Pohang needed to cede possession for probably the most half, however have been capable of out-edge Gamba by way of pictures and pictures on track (14-12, 4-3). The end result leaves the tie delicately poised forward of subsequent week’s second leg in Osaka.