Group C: Foolad Khouzestan strike late against Ahal FC

Thu, 21 Apr, 2022

Group C: Foolad Khouzestan strike late against Ahal FC

Jeddah: Foolad Khouzestan scored late in injury time to defeat a 10-man Ahal FC 1-0 in an entertaining AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group C  encounter on Thursday. 

The match looked poised for a tie before Malian defender Moussa Coulibaly headed the winning goal in the dying embers of the match. 

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Preview - Group A: Al Hilal SFC (KSA) v FC Istiklol (TJK)

Sat, 16 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group A: Al Hilal SFC (KSA) v FC Istiklol (TJK)

Riyadh: Istiklol head coach Mubin Ergashev is expecting Al Hilal SFC to come out firing on all cylinders when they lock horns in the AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group A match on Friday. 

Al Hilal lead the group standings with a perfect record of six points while Istiklol are still in search of their first points after having lost both their games.

This will be the third meeting between the clubs in the AFC Champions League with Istiklol winning their previous encounter 4-1 in last season’s group stage.

Preview - Group A: Sharjah (UAE) v Al Rayyan SC (QAT)

Thu, 14 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group A: Sharjah (UAE) v Al Rayyan SC (QAT)

Riyadh: UAE’s Sharjah and Qatar’s Al Rayyan are braced for a collision course when they meet in Group A of the  AFC Champions League™ 2022 on Friday. 

Both teams, who have never met before in the AFC Champions League, are level on points having picked up a win and a defeat with Sharjah sitting above Al Rayyan on goal difference.

Sharjah began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat against defending champions Al Hilal SFC of Saudi Arabia before a second half rally from Brazilian duo Ciao and Bernard saw the Emirati side defeat FC Istiklol 2-1.

Preview - Group E: Al Sadd SC (QAT) v Al Wehdat (JOR)

Sat, 16 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group E: Al Sadd SC (QAT) v Al Wehdat (JOR)

Dammam: Al Sadd SC defender Pedro Miguel insists he and his teammate Abdelkarim Hassan are determined to come back stronger when their side face Jordan’s Al Wehdat on Matchday Three of the AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group E on Friday.

The two full-backs were sent-off in Al Sadd’s opening game against FC Nasaf, a game their team still managed to walk out with a draw despite playing with nine men for nearly half an hour. Subsequently, Pedro and Hassan were suspended for the 2-1 defeat against Al Faisaly but are now in line to start in what could prove to be a do-or-die encounter against Al Wehdat.

Preview - Group E: FC Nasaf (UZB) v Al Faisaly FC (KSA)

Sat, 16 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group E: FC Nasaf (UZB) v Al Faisaly FC (KSA)

Dammam: Al Faisaly head coach Marinos Ouzounidis has warned against complacency when his side take on FC Nasaf on Matchday Three of the AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group E on Friday.

The debutants impressed in their previous game, recovering from an early Hassan Al Haydos goal to defeat Al Sadd 2-1 thanks to Hicham Faik’s header 16 minutes into the game and Julio Tavares’ composed finish eight minutes after the restart.

Ouzounidis’ men find themselves in a top-of-the-table clash against Nasaf who are level with them on four points from two matches, with the Uzbeks having conceded one goal less to claim the top spot going into Friday’s game, and the Greek tactician warned that his team must not get carried away after their last result.

Preview - Group F: Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) v Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)

Fri, 22 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group F: Lion City Sailors FC (SGP) v Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)

Buriram: AFC Champions League™ debutants Lion City Sailors FC are set for a baptism of fire when they go up against two-time winners Urawa Red Diamonds in their opening AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group F match on Friday. 

The Singapore Premier League champions, however, are unfazed by the challenge - especially as they have Kim Do-hoon, who led Ulsan Hyundai to their second AFC Champions League title in 2020 - at the helm and the 51-year-old is adamant his team will be challengers. 

Preview - Group F: Shandong Taishan FC (CHN) v Daegu FC (KOR)

Thu, 21 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group F: Shandong Taishan FC (CHN) v Daegu FC (KOR)

Buriram: Daegu FC head coach Alexandre Gama has high expectations for his side when they open their AFC Champions League™ Group F campaign against Shandong Taishan FC on Friday. 

The K League side will be featuring in their third Continental campaign after beating Buriram United 3-2 on penalties in the playoff last month, while Shandong Taishan will be making their 10th appearance in the tournament. 

Daegu reached the Round of 16 - their best ever finish - in the last edition, and that is the minimum target that Gama has set for his charges as they prepare to face fierce competition from the Chinese Super League champions at the Buriram City Stadium. 

Preview - Group G: BG Pathum United (THA) v Melbourne City FC (AUS)

Fri, 15 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group G: BG Pathum United (THA) v Melbourne City FC (AUS)

Pathum Thani: Melbourne City FC head coach Patrick Kisnorbo has urged his players to stick to the processes that made them Australian champions in their AFC Champions League™ 2022 debut against Group G hosts BG Pathum United on Friday.

Reaching the Asian stage has been a long time coming for the A-League club, who are finally set to make their continental bow having finished in their domestic top five for the last seven consecutive seasons and withdrew due to COVID-19 having qualified for the 2021 edition of the ACL.

Preview - Group G: United City FC (PHI) v Jeonnam Dragons (KOR)

Fri, 15 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group G: United City FC (PHI) v Jeonnam Dragons (KOR)

Pathum Thani: They have lost two of their biggest names, but head coach Jason Withe believes United City FC are better equipped to take on the continent’s best at AFC Champions League™ 2022, starting with Korean FA Cup winners Jeonnam Dragons on Friday.

The Filipino side are at this stage of the continent’s premier competition for the second time having made their debut last season in a Tashkent-based group which saw them suffer heavy defeats against Kawasaki Frontale and Daegu FC, but also claim a maiden win on the way to a third-place finish.
 
Many of the same faces, including Withe, are back on deck in Thailand for this year’s competition, but two of their biggest names from recent years are not among them, with ex-captain Stephan Schröck and prolific striker Bienvenido Marañón both departing the club since last year’s tournament.

Preview - Group I: Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) v Guangzhou FC (CHN)

Thu, 21 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group I: Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) v Guangzhou FC (CHN)

Johor Bahru: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) head coach Benjamin Mora is relishing the expectations weighing on the centralised host club ahead of their AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group I opener against two-time champions Guangzhou FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Friday. 

Since debuting on Asia’s pinnacle stage in 2019, JDT have registered famous victories against two former champions – Kashima Antlers and Suwon Samsung Bluewings – both coming on home soil and Mora admits that the current conditions present the perfect opportunity for the Malaysian giants to create history by progressing past the group stage for the first time.

Preview - Group I: Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) v Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR)

Fri, 15 Apr, 2022

Preview - Group I: Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) v Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR)

Johor Bahru: Past experiences and recent achievements are no guarantee for success was the distinct message from Ulsan Hyundai’s head coach Hong Myung-bo ahead of Friday’s blockbuster AFC Champions League™ 2022 Group I opener against Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale at the Tan Sri Dato' Hj Hassan Yunos Stadium. 

Despite leading the two-time AFC Champions League winners to victory against their Japanese opponents in last season’s Round of 16 stage just seven months ago, Hong was quick to dispel Ulsan’s ‘favourites tag’ in what promises to be a titanic tussle between the current K-League and J-League leaders.