Vissel Kobe ensured smooth passage to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 on Wednesday - beating FC Seoul 2-1 to wrap up a 3-1 aggregate win - but Sanfrecce Hiroshima fell just short of the result they needed in the same competition, a 1-0 victory over Johor Darul Ta’zim FC not enough to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg.
Gamba Osaka were also celebrating though, after they beat Ratchaburi FC 2-1 after extra-time to progress to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26, 3-2 on aggregate.
Kobe fell behind in the 20th minute of their ACL Elite Round of 16 second leg at Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium, Patryk Klimala heading in from close range for Seoul after terrific work on the right flank by Jeong Seung-won and a dink back across goal from Song Min-kyu.
The MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE side were back in the contest in the 78th minute though, Rikuto Hirose doing superbly to keep the ball in play for Yoshinori Muto, who crossed to the back post for substitute Yuya Osako to sweep home.
That strike put Kobe ahead on aggregate, but Yosuke Ideguchi made absolutely sure with one minute remaining, seizing upon a mis-hit pass by Seoul goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun before dinking the ball over him and into the unguarded net with his left foot.
Things didn’t go quite as well for Hiroshima, who were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate despite picking up a 1-0 win in their ACL Elite Round of 16 second leg against JDT.
The hosts threatened frequently at Hiroshima Soccer Stadium, but the only time they managed to break JDT’s determined resistance was in the 90th minute, when Kosuke Kinoshita converted from the penalty spot.
Elsewhere, G-Osaka emerged victorious from a tight ACL Two quarter-final second leg against Ratchaburi, thanks to goals from Genta Miura and Welton.
Miura put G-Osaka ahead with a phenomenal strike from distance in the 29th minute at Ratchaburi Stadium, but Gleyson restored parity on the night and in the tie five minutes into the second half, seizing upon a loose ball after a mix-up between Masaaki Higashiguchi and Shinnosuke Nakatani.
Higashiguchi then atoned for his part in that concession by saving a penalty from Denilson Junior in the 66th minute, and with neither side able to find the net again in the remainder of regular time the game went to extra time.
Once there, Welton settled things in G-Osaka’s favour nine minutes into the first period, sweeping in from the left-hand side of the penalty area after the ball broke to him from Gaku Nawata.
