⚽ AFC Champions League Elite 2025‑26 — Matchday 8 Recap
⚽ AFC Champions League Elite 2025‑26 — Matchday 8 Recap
Final League Stage Results — East & West Regions
East Meets West. Stars Rise. The Final Stage Is Set.
🟦East Region
| Match | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| FC Seoul vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2–2 | Seoul stage a late comeback to secure a point. |
| Johor Darul Ta’zim vs Vissel Kobe | 1–0 | JDT shock Kobe with a decisive winner to seal knockout qualification. |
| Buriram United vs Shanghai Shenhua | 2–0 | Buriram dominate with a clean sheet and clinical finishing. |
| Melbourne City vs Gangwon FC | 0–0 | Defensive stalemate as both sides struggle to break through. |
| Shanghai Port vs Ulsan Hyundai | 0–0 | Another goalless draw highlights disciplined defensive setups. |
| Macheda Zelvia vs Chengdu Rongcheng | 3–2 | Five-goal thriller sees Zelvia edge a dramatic contest with a late winner. |
🟥 West Region
| Match | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Sharjah FC vs PFC Nasaf | 1–2 | Nasaf pull off a late winner to close their campaign on a high. |
| Al Ahli Saudi FC vs Shabab Al Ahli | 4–3 | Seven-goal thriller headlines the West. |
| Al Hilal SFC vs Al Wahda FC | 2–1 | Hilal edge it to cap their league domination. |
| Al Shorta vs Al Duhail SC | 3–2 | Iraqi side finish strong in an open, high-tempo clash. |
| Al Sadd SC vs Al Ittihad Jeddah | 1–4 | Ittihad deliver the biggest scoreline of the round. |
| Al Gharafa SC vs Tractor SC | 0–2 | Tractor produce a composed away performance with two decisive goals. |
📊 Final League Tables (Post‑Matchday 8)
🟦 East Region Standings
| Position | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machida Zelvia | |||||||
| 2 | Vissel Kobe | |||||||
| 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | |||||||
| 4 | Buriram United | |||||||
| 5 | Melbourne City | |||||||
| 6 | Johor Darul Ta’zim | |||||||
| 7 | FC Seoul | |||||||
| 8 | Gangwon FC |
(Top eight East teams progress to Round of 16.)
🟥 West Region Standings
| Position | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Hilal SFC | |||||||
| 2 | Al Ahli Saudi FC | |||||||
| 3 | Tractor S.C. | |||||||
| 4 | Al Ittihad Jeddah | |||||||
| 5 | Al Wahda FC | |||||||
| 6 | Shabab Al Ahli | |||||||
| 7 | Al Duhail SC | |||||||
| 8 | Al Sadd SC |
(Top eight West teams progress to Round of 16.)
📈 Team Form Snapshot
🔹 Hot Form (Last 5)
- Al Ittihad Jeddah: Scored 4 in their MD8 romp — red‑hot going into knockouts.
- Al Ahli Saudi FC: Seven goals in a thriller win — attacking confidence high.
- Buriram United: Ended with a clean win — defence steeled at the right time.
🔸 Solid but Stagnant
- Melbourne City & Ulsan Hyundai: 0–0 draws point to defensive mettle but attacking questions.
Classic mix of momentum-builders and teams who’ll need tactical tweaks in the Round of 16.
📅 Knockout Round Schedule — Up Next
🗓 Round of 16 — March 2026
Home & away legs scheduled in early March, with top seeds hosting first legs followed by away ties.
Typical fixtures might include:
- Al Hilal SFC vs Al Sadd SC
- Vissel Kobe vs FC Seoul
- Al Ahli Saudi FC vs Al Duhail SC
- Melbourne City vs Buriram United
🧠 Tactical Insight Blurbs — Key Upsets
🔥 JDT’s Victory Over Vissel Kobe
Johor Darul Ta’zim stunned the Japanese outfit with a tactical masterclass — compact shape, quick transitions and second‑phase aggression to outpace Kobe’s usually controlled possession style.
This result could define their knockout mentality: JDT won’t be content to sit deep; they’ll force forward in numbers.
💥 Sharjah FC 1–2 PFC Nasaf — UAE Flair vs Uzbek Grit
Nasaf’s late goal is symbolic of their resilience. While Sharjah dominated possession and territory, Nasaf soaked it up and struck when it mattered.
Match‑control stats tell a deeper story: Nasaf’s midfield intensity was key — especially in late press transitions.
⚔️ Al Ahli vs Shabab Al Ahli — All‑Out Western Shoot‑Out
Seven goals and end‑to‑end action show the West’s attacking personality entrenched across Saudi and UAE football. Expect high‑tempo legs in the Round of 16 from both sides.
📝 About This Round
All matchday 8 results, standings, and upcoming knockout fixtures are presented here — giving fans a full view of the AFC Champions League Elite as teams head into the Round of 16.
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