FC Machida Zelvia and Vissel Kobe both concluded their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 commitments for the year by picking up more points on Tuesday, FC Machida beating Ulsan HD FC 3-1 and Kobe equalising late on to draw 2-2 with Chengdu Rongcheng FC.
FC Machida took control of their game with a wonderfully-worked set-piece straight off the training ground in just the sixth minute at Machida Stadium, as Hokuto Shimoda made the perfect connection with Keiya Sento’s guided deep corner from the right to volley through a crowd of bodies - including Asahi Masuyama, to whom the goal was initially awarded - and home.
Takuma Nishimura then doubled the hosts’ lead a quarter of an hour later, converting crisply from the edge of the area after Sento had helped the ball into his path.
FC Machida didn’t rest on their laurels in the second half either, and made it 3-0 just two minutes after the restart as Oh Se Hun headed in Masuyama’s dinked cross from the right.
Ulsan did manage to pull one back eight minutes later - Gustav Ludwigson breaking in behind after a long ball forward and cutting back across goal for Um Won Sang to tuck into the unguarded net - but while both teams did continue to create chances there weren’t any further goals, leaving FC Machida to celebrate the three points that moved them up into second place.
Meanwhile, league leaders Kobe could have made sure of their place in the next round with a victory over Chengdu at Misaki Park Stadium, and got off to a bright start when Yoshinori Muto spun and side-footed in from inside the area after receiving a pass from Erik in the 18th minute.
Chengdu levelled things up with a terrific strike in the first minute of first-half stoppage time though, as Felipe fired in an unstoppable drive from 25 yards.
The Brazilian then turned the game on its head as he put Chengdu 2-1 up in the 77th minute, confidently stroking in a penalty after Yosuke Ideguchi had been penalised for a handball in the area.
Kobe were handed a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty of their own in the 85th minute though - Daiju Sasaki being fouled by Li Yang - and after a lengthy review Sasaki himself kept his composure to slot the spot-kick home in the 90th minute and make sure of a valuable point for his side.
