K League in 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Match Day 3 Preview | OneFootball

It is very much the business end of the season in K League with the regular season now wrapped up and Final Round looming. In AFC Champions League, however, things are only just starting to get going. This week brings Match Day 3 in both the AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League Two. There are two Korea-Japan clashes with Ulsan HD facing Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Gangwon FC hosting Vissel Kobe, while FC Seoul head to China to take on an in-form Shanghai Shenhua, and in ACL Two, Pohang travel to Singapore to face Tampines Rovers.

AFC Champions League Elite

Tuesday 21st October

Ulsan HD vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) - 19:00 KST

A 2-0 win over Gwangju FC has eased the domestic pressure on Ulsan HD, enabling the Horangi to claw their way out of the bottom three. The win and boost in confidence come in time for a return to continental competition with the visit of Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Tuesday. Sanfrecce sit fifth in J1 League and are unbeaten in 10 in all competitions with six wins. In ACLE, the La Viola have earned four points from their first two matches, following a 2-0 away win over Melbourne City and a 1-1 home draw with Shanghai Port. Ulsan, meanwhile, began their campaign with a 2-1 away win over Chengdu Rongcheng, then drew 1-1 at home to Shanghai Shenhua.

Tuesday's contest sees two of the most trigger-happy teams on the East side of the competition go head-to-head, with both landing the highest number of shots on target per match, with seven. Ulsan rank second for accurate passes per match with 451.5, while Sanfrecce are first for accurate crosses per match, which could offer some indication of each team's route to goal

Tuesday's visit to Korea will be Sanfrecce's first since 2019, when beating Daegu 1-0, and have a decent record against K League sides - five wins, two draws, and three losses. The two have met before, but in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, where the J.League side ran out 3-2 winners. Ulsan lost their last three meetings with J.League sides, conceding seven and scoring none in last year's competition, but overall have a record of 15 wins, six draws, and 11 losses against J.League opposition in ACL.

Wednesday 22nd October

Shanghai Shenhua (CHN) vs. FC Seoul - 21:15 KST

Looking to put their Round 33 home loss to Pohang Steelers behind them, FC Seoul travel to Shanghai looking to preserve their unbeaten start to ACLE. Seoul got off to a winning start to their ACL return, seeing off the challenge of Buriram United at home, then drawing with Machida Zelvia. Shenhua currently sit third in the Chinese Super League after back-to-back wins and a run of four unbeaten with 13 goals scored during that time, but are yet to win in ACL this season following a loss to Gangwon in Match Day 1, then a draw with Ulsan.

Shanghai Shenhua have the second-lowest average possession in the East side of the competition with 38.9%, whereas Seoul have the fifth-highest with 53%. The onus, therefore, might be on Seoul to take the game to Shenhua. Seoul are also fifth when it comes to shots on target per match with five, whereas Shenhua are fourth from bottom in that regard with 2.5. The visit of FC Seoul marks Shanghai Shenhua's third K League opponent in a row, but Wednesday's clash will be the first between the two teams. Shanghai Shenhua's record against K League clubs reads five wins, two draws, and 12 losses, while FC Seoul's record against Chinese Super League opposition in ACL is five wins, nine draws, and six losses. Seoul have lost their last four against CSL opposition, with their last win over a Chinese side coming back in 2016, a quarterfinal first leg win over Shandong Luneng.

Gangwon FC vs. Vissel Kobe (JPN) - 19:00 KST

Having secured a Final A berth, Gangwon FC can head into their remaining AFC Champions League matches with a sense of freedom. Manager Jeong Kyung-ho had been fielding rotated lineups for the ACL, but with top-flight status secured, the Bears can now focus on reaching the round of 16. They'll be looking to put the 2-2 draw with Daegu behind them, though, having seen a 2-0 lead slip and have to settle for just a point for their endeavours. It meant three draws in a row heading into the visit of Vissel Kobe. The reigning J1 League champions also drew last time out, 0-0 at home to Kashima Antlers on Friday. They sit fourth in J1, five points behind leaders Kashima. In ACLE, Kobe have started very well, with two wins from two, four goals scored, and none conceded. A 3-0 away triumph over Shanghai Port was then followed up by a 1-0 home win over Melbourne City.

Gangwon have enjoyed the most possession so far with a whopping 62.3%, with the most accurate passes per match, while Kobe have racked up 52.5% (sixth), and are sixth for accurate passes and six shots on target per match (third), Gangwon 2.5 (third lowest). The visit to Chuncheon marks Kobe's first match with a K League side since their round of 16 quarterfinal second leg loss to Gwangju earlier in the year. Overall, Kobe have a record of four wins and four losses against K League clubs.

AFC Champions League Two

Thursday 23rd October

Tampines Rovers (SGP) vs. Pohang Steelers - 19:00

With work to do to qualify for AFC Champions League next year, owing to a run of two wins from their last five, Pohang Steelers may well need to begin taking the AFC Champions League Two more seriously. Thus far, Park Tae-ha, who recently penned a new contract, may have to win ACL Two in order to secure continental qualification for next year. The Steelers, though, did return to winning ways at the weekend, earning a 2-1 away win over FC Seoul. Lee Ho-jae from a Ki Sung-yueng cross and Juninho Rocha earned the Steelers the win.

Up next is a trip to Singapore to take on Tampines Rovers, who drew 3-3 with Balestier Khalsa at the weekend. Despite taking the lead three times, Rovers succumbed to a 108th-minute penalty to keep them on one win from three to start the new Singapore Premier League season. The two teams, though, sit on six points in Group H; Rovers overcame Kaya 3-0 in their first ACL outing, then secured an impressive home win over BG Pathum United. Pohang earned their wins from the same opposition, doing so with clean sheets in both matches. Pohang have dominated possession in their matches so far with 67.3% on average, the second highest among teams from the East, while Tampines Rovers rank seventh with a healthy 55.4%. When it comes to shots on target per match, Pohang rank third with 6.5, while Rovers sit 11th with three. The visit of Pohang will be Tampines Rovers' third match with K League opposition, and first-ever in a non-neutral venue, having lost twice to Jeonbuk in the 2021 hub.