Vidmar confident of Melbourne's chances; Buriram's Jackson hurting

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Vidmar confident of Melbourne's chances; Buriram's Jackson hurting

Melbourne: Head coach Tony Vidmar believes Ben Mazzeo’s stoppage time goal can give Melbourne City FC the belief to go on and qualify for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ after seeing his side share a 1-1 draw with Buriram United on Tuesday.

Mazzeo’s header from Marcus Younis’ pinpoint cross in the fifth minute of second-half added time cancelled out Guilherme Bissoli’s stunning 37th minute strike for the visitors at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Tuesday to leave the tie finely poised ahead of the return meeting in Thailand next week.

https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league_elite.html/video/aclelite-|-r16-1st-leg-melbourne-city-fc-aus-1-1-buriram-united-tha

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R16 - 1st Leg: Melbourne City FC (AUS) 1-1 Buriram United (THA)

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

R16 - 1st Leg: Melbourne City FC (AUS) 1-1 Buriram United (THA)

Melbourne: Ben Mazzeo’s late header earned Melbourne City a 1-1 draw with Buriram United on Tuesday to leave their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ Round of 16 clash evenly poised ahead of the second leg in Thailand next week.

Guilherme Bissoli had crashed in an unstoppable strike in the 37th minute at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to give the Thai League 1 champions the lead but Marcus Younis’ run set up substitute Mazzeo to nod in the equaliser five minutes into stoppage time.
 
Buriram United will be looking to reach the quarter-finals for the second season in a row while Melbourne City will be attempting to extend their first-ever run in the competition’s knockout rounds.

R16 - 1st Leg: Gangwon FC (KOR) 0-0 FC Machida Zelvia (JPN)

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

R16 - 1st Leg: Gangwon FC (KOR) 0-0 FC Machida Zelvia (JPN)

Chuncheon: Gangwon FC and FC Machida Zelvia cancelled each other out as they played to a goalless stalemate in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ Round of 16 tie on Tuesday.

The tie at the Chuncheon Songam Sports Town Stadium saw scoring opportunities few and far between but sets up a winner-takes-all encounter next week in Japan.

Preview - R16 (1st Leg): Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) v Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Preview - R16 (1st Leg): Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS) v Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)

Iskandar Puteri: A buoyant Johor Darul Ta'zim will be optimistic of their chances when they play Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.

A 1-0 win over Vissel Kobe sealed Johor Darul Ta'zim's ticket to the next stage while Sanfrecce enjoyed smooth passage, with the Japanese side finishing third in the East Zone League Stage.

Preview - R16 (1st Leg): FC Seoul (KOR) v Vissel Kobe (JPN)

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Preview - R16 (1st Leg): FC Seoul (KOR) v Vissel Kobe (JPN)

Seoul: FC Seoul can't afford mistakes when they host Vissel Kobe in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™ Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.

Korea Republic's FC Seoul snuck into the Round of 16 while Vissel of Japan were comfortable qualifiers.

Second-leg knockout ties of AFC Club Competitions postponed

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

Second-leg knockout ties of AFC Club Competitions postponed

Kuala Lumpur: Following the decision on March 1 to postpone the first-leg Knockout Stage matches across the AFC Club Competitions in the West Region, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today confirms the postponement of the second-leg ties.

Consequently, the following matches originally scheduled for March 9–11, 2026, have been postponed until further notice:
 
  • AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™: Round of 16 second-leg matches (West Region).
  • AFC Champions League Two 2025/26™ and AFC Challenge League 2025/26™: Quarter-final second-leg matches involving West Region teams.