Vissel Kobe marked a significant victory by overcoming South Korea’s Gwangju FC 2-0 on Wednesday, adding to Japan’s successful start in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite’s second round.
This triumph by Vissel followed closely after Yokohama F. Marinos secured a 1-0 win against Shanghai Port. However, Kawasaki Frontale was unable to continue the winning streak for the J.League, as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Shanghai Shenhua.
The return legs are scheduled for next week, with the successful teams set to progress to the quarterfinals, hosted in Saudi Arabia. The participation of Saudi Arabian clubs has seen varied outcomes, leaving their advancement uncertain.
Earlier in the week, Al-Nassr, despite missing the star player Cristiano Ronaldo, was held to a goalless draw at Esteghlal in Iran. Furthermore, Riyadh’s Al-Hilal faced a setback, losing 1-0 to Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor, thanks to a first-half goal by Flamarion.
On a more positive note for Saudi Arabia, their third team, Al-Ahli, achieved a 3-1 victory over Qatar’s Al-Rayyan. Early strikes by Galeno and Riyad Mahrez gave Al-Ahli an early edge, while a subsequent goal from Roger Guedes narrowed the margin after halftime. Nonetheless, a late goal from Firas Al-Buraikan ensured Al-Ahli’s commanding lead heading into the next leg.
Elsewhere, Thailand’s Buriram United played a goalless draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim from Malaysia. Meanwhile, the match between Qatar’s Al-Sadd and Dubai’s Al-Wasl ended evenly at 1-1.
The grand finale of the tournament is set to take place in Jeddah on May 4.
