Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The 16 teams in the East Zone of the AFC Champions League will take to the field for the last time in the group stage on Tuesday and Wednesday with three places in the knockout rounds still on offer.
The qualifiers from Groups E and F may have already been decided, but there remains all to play for in Groups G and H where three out of four qualification spots have yet to be claimed ahead of the final round of fixtures.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: After five enthralling rounds of fixtures, the group stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League will draw to a close in the West Zone on Monday and Tuesday, with just two spots in the Round of 16 still up for grabs.
The qualification berths from Groups A and C have already been decided, but there remain some intriguing match-ups in Groups B and D as Zobahan and Lokomotiv, and Al Rayyan and Al Ain battle it out for the final two places in the knockout rounds.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The-AFC.com looks back on the week's AFC Champions League action through the words of some of the key men involved. Big wins, shock defeats and eyes on the future all feature.
It was a very hard game. Suwon played well, but we took our chances and scored goals. We are very happy as this was a very important game for us. We are looking forward to the next game and we still believe we have a chance to go to the next round.
Tsing Tao Player-of-the-Match winner Adrian Mierzejewski remains optimistic of a place in the Round of 16 after Sydney FC's 4-1 win away at Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: A brace in Ulsan Hyundai’s resounding 6-2 victory over Melbourne Victory in Group F of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday has earned Mislav Orsic the Toyota Player of the Week accolade.
Orsic scored a rating of 9.4 in a match that saw him create four chances for his teammates and add what was his second double of the campaign as the hosts secured their passage to the next round with a game to spare.
Ulsan were two up inside 20 minutes before the Croatian forward all but secured the victory on 38 minutes and, with 15 minutes to play, Orsic added the final goal – his fourth of the campaign – as the Korea Republic side eased through.
Adrian Mierzejewski (pictured below) was another player who stood out in the fifth round of fixtures on the continent, with the Sydney FC midfielder scoring the third goal in a 4-1 win at Suwon Samsung Bluewings to throw Group H wide open.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: After the international break, the 2018 AFC Champions League returned last week and the Matchday Five action threw up yet more drama as the group stage nears a close.
The final round of fixtures take place in just over a week's time, before which the-AFC.com takes a look at some of the numbers that caught that eye in the week gone by.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hong Kong: Tianjin Quanjian left it late but scored an important 1-0 win over Kitchee to confirm their spot in the Knockout Stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League.
The Chinese side didn’t have it all their own way, however, as Kitchee pushed them all the way and nearly scored another famous victory.
Hungarian Rock
Hungarian midfielder Krisztian Vadocz was arguably Kitchee’s standout performer on the night with an outstanding performance in central midfield.
The 32-year-old was excellent going both ways, working hard to protect the back four and break up the Tianjin attack, while he was equally as dangerous going forward, linking up with the likes of Alex and Diego Forlan in attack.
The heat map (below) shows how involved he was, particularly in Kitchee’s own attacking half as he pushed forward looking to unlock the Tianjin defence.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ulsan: A thumping 6-2 win over Melbourne Victory confirmed Ulsan Hyundai’s spot in the Knockout Stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League.
Knowing they needed a win to guarantee a Round of 16 berth, the K-League outfit came into the match on the back of three straight losses in the league and FA Cup, but they showed none of that form as they eased past the three-time A-League champions.
No Way Through
Kim Do-hoon made a small adjustment to his side, moving defender Richard Windbichler into a central midfield and it paid dividends with the Austrian a standout for the home side.
The 26-year-old controlled the centre of the park masterfully, and didn’t look to go outside his comfort zone, anchoring the midfield and protecting the back four, as highlighted on his heat map (below).