Half-time talk restored belief, says Shandong Taishan’s Choi

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

Half-time talk restored belief, says Shandong Taishan’s Choi

Jinan: Head coach Choi Kang-hee’s half-time pep talk sparked Shandong Taishan’s AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 3-1 win against Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday.

Bi Jinhao’s eighth minute goal gave Shandong a perfect start but Mikael Doka’s penalty in the ninth minute of first half added time left the China PR side reeling, prompting Choi and his coaching staff to intervene during the break with Valeri Qazaishvili netting twice in the second period for the win. 

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Gwangju’s Lee expects more despite fantastic start

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

Gwangju’s Lee expects more despite fantastic start

Gwangju: Lee Jung-hyo praised his Gwangju FC players for their strong mentality in their AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 win against Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos but the head coach admitted he wasn’t totally satisfied with how the Korea Republic side ended the tie on Tuesday.

Making their continental debut, Gwangju produced a swashbuckling performance to defeat AFC Champions League™ 2023/24 runners-up Marinos 7-3 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium, Jasir Asani starring with a hat-trick with Oh Hu-seong, Beka Mikeltadze, Lee Hui-gyun and Gabriel Tigrao also getting on the scoreboard. 

MD1: Shandong Taishan FC (CHN) 3-1 Central Coast Mariners (AUS)

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

MD1: Shandong Taishan FC (CHN) 3-1 Central Coast Mariners (AUS)

Jinan: Shandong Taishan of China PR were made to work hard before securing a 3-1 win over Australia’s Central Coast Mariners in their AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 League Stage match on Tuesday.

The match at Jinan Olympics Sports Center Stadium was decided by two Valeri Qazaishvili second half goals as the 2023 Chinese Super League runners-up made a winning start to their continental campaign.

MD1: Gwangju FC (KOR) 7-3 Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN)

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

MD1: Gwangju FC (KOR) 7-3 Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN)

Gwangju: Jasir Asani scored a hat-trick and set up a fourth as continental debutants Gwangju FC handed Yokohama F. Marinos a 7-3 victory at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on Tuesday in the opening round of league play in the AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25.

The Japanese side, runners-up last season in the AFC Champions League™, had no answer for the Albanian international, whose ability to strike from the right of the home side’s attack had the Marinos defence reeling.

Oh Hu-seong, Beka Mikeltadze, Lee Hui-gyun and Gabriel Tigrao were also on target for a rampant Gwangju with Elber scoring twice for Marinos, whose challenge was ultimately swept away with three goals in six second half minutes.

MD1: Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 4-1 Pohang Steelers (KOR)

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

MD1: Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) 4-1 Pohang Steelers (KOR)

Shanghai: China PR’s Shanghai Shenhua came back from a goal down to defeat Pohang Steelers of Korea Republic 4-1 in their AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 League Stage opener on Tuesday.

Substitute Cephas Malele scored twice in the second half to lead the fightback after Jorge Teixeira had given Pohang the lead, with Andre Luís and Gao Tianyi also finding the net for Shanghai Shenhua.

MD1: Buriram United (THA) 0-0 Vissel Kobe (JPN)

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

MD1: Buriram United (THA) 0-0 Vissel Kobe (JPN)

Buriram: Hosts Buriram United held J1 League champions Vissel Kobe to a 0-0 draw in the teams’ opening AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 league stage clash at Buriram Stadium on Tuesday.

Supachai Chaided went closest to putting the Thai champions in front three minutes before the break while home defender Curtis Good cleared Daiji Sasaki’s second half effort off the line in a game of limited clear-cut opportunities.

The result earns both teams a point in the first game of the 12-team league phase of the continental championship, in which both clubs will play eight matches in an attempt to qualify for the knockout rounds.

MD1: Pakhtakor FC (UZB) 0-1 Al Wasl Club (UAE)

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

MD1: Pakhtakor FC (UZB) 0-1 Al Wasl Club (UAE)

Tashkent: Al Wasl Club edged Pakthtakor FC 1-0 in their opening AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 League Stage clash at Bunyodkor Stadium on Tuesday.

Soufiane Bouftini scored the winner with a second half header as the champions of the United Arab Emirates kicked off their campaign in style. 

MD1: Al Rayyan SC (QAT) 1-3 Al Hilal SFC (KSA)

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

MD1: Al Rayyan SC (QAT) 1-3 Al Hilal SFC (KSA)

Al Rayyan: Four-time continental champions Al Hilal made a strong start to their AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 campaign on Tuesday as the Saudi Pro League side handed their Qatari hosts Al Rayyan a 3-1 defeat at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Goals late in the first half for Joao Concelo and Marcos Leonardo effectively confirmed the win for Jorge Jesus’ team after Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had put the visitors in front in the 15th minute.

A Roger Guedes goal early in the second half gave Al Rayyan hope and Al Hilal failed to kill off the game with Aleksandar Mitrovic seeing a late penalty saved and Malcom hitting the post as home goalkeeper Paulo Victor kept the Saudis at bay.

Castro leaves Al Nassr

Wed, 18 Sep, 2024

Castro leaves Al Nassr

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr have announced the departure of head coach Luis Castro.

Castor leaves the Riyadh-based club after having been in charge for 14 months.