The 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two get underway this week with some milestone fixtures for Ok League sides. Gangwon FC head into their first-ever ACL match when internet hosting Shanghai Shenhua, FC Seoul mark their first ACL match in 5 years when taking up an Asian continental soccer newcomer, whereas Ulsan HD will look to place their poor league kind behind them and overcome one other of this 12 months’s competitors’s newcomers, Chengdu Rongcheng.
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AFC Champions League Elite
Tuesday sixteenth September
Machida Zelvia (JPN) vs. FC Seoul – 19:00 KST
FC Seoul’s first AFC Champions League match in practically 5 years sees the beleaguered capital membership head to Japan to tackle Machida Zelvia, a facet that is competing within the ACL for the very first time. FC Seoul make the journey to Tokyo having misplaced 3-2 to Gangwon on the weekend, and on a run of back-to-back losses, and with only one win in 5. Zelvia, in the meantime, are fifth in J1 however are with out a win of their final three, having drawn 1-1 with Yokohama FC on Friday, to comply with up a 5-3 loss to Kawasaki Frontale and a 0-0 draw with Yokohama F. Marinos. Earlier than that, Zelvia had been on a run of eight wins in a row. Tuesday’s contest would be the first between the 2 groups, however FC Seoul have a document of 9 wins, three attracts, and 9 losses in opposition to Japanese opposition since 2009. Their final win over J.League opposition was in Could 2017, beating Urawa Reds at house, whereas their final away win over a Japanese facet goes again to Could 2015, a 3-2 victory over Kashima Antlers.
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Gangwon FC vs. Shanghai Shenhua – 19:00 KST
Gangwon FC will embark on their first-ever AFC Champions League marketing campaign at house in opposition to Shanghai Shenhua. The Bears head into Tuesday’s contest in good kind, having picked up back-to-back wins over Pohang in Spherical 28 and Seoul in Spherical 29, and have simply misplaced as soon as of their final eight, albeit with 4 attracts. Shanghai Shenhua drew 3-3 at house to Shandong Taishan on Friday, and misplaced to Wuhan Three Cities simply earlier than the worldwide break. Their kind is inconsistent, with only one win in six and two in eight in all competitions, however, regardless of that, sit third within the Chinese language Tremendous League, simply three factors behind leaders Chengdu Rongcheng. Shanghai Shenhua haven’t got a very good document in opposition to Ok League groups, having misplaced 12, received simply 5, and drawn two in 19 encounters. Their final conferences with Korean opposition got here final 12 months, beating Pohang 4-1 at house, dropping 1-0 away to Gwangju, and dropping 2-1 at house to Ulsan.
Wednesday seventeenth September
Ulsan HD (KOR) vs. Chengdu Rongcheng (CHN) – 19:00 KST
Ulsan HD endured a wretched AFC Champions League Elite marketing campaign final 12 months, successful simply one in every of their eight matches. Such poor kind appears to have carried over into this season, with the Horangi now in peril of being sucked right into a relegation battle. Ulsan drew 1-1 with East Coast Derby rivals Pohang Steelers on the weekend, coming from behind to earn the purpose, however are with out a win in 4 and have only one victory in 16 matches in all competitions, stretching again to the tip of Could. For sure, Shin Tae-yong can be wanting to make use of the ACL to show his facet’s fortunes round. However Chengu Rongcheng, their first opponents this 12 months, sit prime of the Chinese language Tremendous League and have received their final three in a row, scoring 10 within the course of and conceding simply two. With this being Chengdu Rongcheng’s first-ever Champions League match, Website positioning Jung-won’s males can be fired up. Ulsan’s document in opposition to Chinese language Tremendous League opposition reads 10 wins, two attracts, and three losses. The Horangi’s final encounters with Chinese language sides have been within the 2022 group stage, beating Guangzhou 3-0 and 5-0.
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AFC Champions League Two
Thursday 18th September
BG Pathum United (THA) vs. Pohang Steelers (KOR) – 21:15 KST
Pohang Steelers’ first-ever AFC Champions League Two match sees Park Tae-ha’s males head into a tough tie with Thai facet BG Pathum United. Pohang’s latest league kind has been hit or miss, drawing with Ulsan on the weekend after dropping 1-0 away to Gangwon FC within the spherical earlier than. Previous to that, although, the Steelers had received 4 on the spin. BG Pathum United are presently fourth within the Thai League desk with seven factors from 4 video games performed. On Friday, United eased previous Uthai Thani 1-0 to efficiently bounce again from the 2-1 loss to Bangkok United. Thursday’s assembly would be the first-ever between the 2 groups, however BG Pathum United have confronted Ok League opposition earlier than, incomes only one win, one draw, and dropping 4. Pohang’s document in opposition to Thai opposition reads three wins, two attracts, and one loss. Pohang’s most up-to-date assembly with a Thai group was a 1-0 away loss to Buriram United final season within the AFC Champions League Elite league stage.
