Al Nassr, Esteghlal set for battle royale
Al Nassr Club walked away from the iconic Azadi Stadium with a goalless draw for their third consecutive clean sheet on the continent – their longest run without conceding in the competition. Esteghlal, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run to five and making that six will not only match their previous best but also book them a quarter-final spot, setting the stage for a blockbuster return leg.
Thrilling ASEAN Derby on the cards
The goalless draw with Buriram United meant Johor Darul Ta’zim are unbeaten on the continent in four games, matching their previous best. The Malaysian side, however, only attempted four shots – their lowest in this season’s AFC Champions League Elite. Buriram may have dominated the tie but have now failed to score in five of their nine matches, which will be good news for their Malaysian opponents.
Winning touch eludes Al Wasl
UAE’s Al Wasl looked set to take a healthy advantage after Ali Saleh opened the scoring for them after just 2:35s but ultimately had to be satisfied with a share of the spoils with Qatar’s Al Sadd SC. The result took their winless run to four matches and they need to get back on track if they are to stop Al Sadd, who have now scored in their last 11 matches on the continental stage.
Tight-fisted Vissel Kobe do it again
Not only did Vissel Kobe score a crucial 2-0 win against Gwangju FC but they also prevented their opponents from Korea Republic registering even one shot on target – the third time the Japanese champions have achieved the feat in this season’s AFC Champions League Elite.
Pakhtakor finally do it
The 1-0 win against Al Hilal SFC means Pakhtakor registered their first victory in nine matches against the Saudi Arabian side. The triumph also meant that the Uzbekistan side achieved back-to-back wins on the continent for the first time since September 2020. For Al Hilal, the defeat also meant the end of a run that had seen them scoring in 20 consecutive AFC Champions League matches.
Anderson on fire
Anderson Lopes’ winner for Yokohama F. Marinos took his season tally to seven, and the Japanese side will expect the Brazilian – who had seven shots against China PR’s Shanghai Port FC – to continue shooting on sight as they aim for the title after finishing runners-up last season.
Mahrez, Firmino driving Al Ahli
Riyad Mahrez scored for the third consecutive AFC Champions League Elite match while Roberto Firmino has contributed two goals and three assists in the same number of games as Al Ahli Saudi FC remain well on track for a place in the quarter-finals. The 3-1 win against Qatar’s Al Rayyan means they have scored in every game this season, a feat matched by Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos and Al Sadd of Qatar.
Frontale lose potency
Kawasaki Frontale were expected to walk away with victory but instead suffered a 1-0 defeat to Shanghai Shenhua, with the Japanese side only managing five shots – the lowest return since Urawa Red Diamonds limited them to four in September 2017. With a deficit to overcome, Frontale must have their scoring boots on in the return leg if they are to avoid elimination.
