There were two more victories for the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE sides in continental competition on Wednesday, as Vissel Kobe defeated Ulsan HD FC 1-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 and Gamba Osaka won their AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 fixture 1-0 away to Nam Dinh FC.
The wins kept both sides top of their respective groups, with Kobe leading the ACL Elite East table on nine points and G-Osaka sealing progression to the next round with two games to spare after four wins from four in ACL Two Group F.
Kobe thought they had opened the scoring in the 11th minute at Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium when Yuya Osako volleyed crisply home from close to the penalty spot, but after a VAR review the effort was chalked off on account of Jean Patric blocking Ulsan goalkeeper Moon Jung-in’s view from an offside position.
Osako then went close again in the 35th minute, lashing a left-footed effort against the bar from inside the area.
That meant the game remained all square at half-time, but Jean Patric broke the deadlock for Kobe with a clinical strike 13 minutes into the second period.
Yuya Kuwasaki fed the ball into the area from the right, and Jean Patric controlled well with his back to goal before spinning and slotting a low effort into the net with his left foot.
Chances were few and far between for both sides from that point on, but Daiya Maekawa made sure of the win for Kobe with a smart save in the third minute of injury time, getting both hands to Lee Dong-gyeong’s effort and sending it over the crossbar.
Meanwhile, Rin Mito opened the scoring for G-Osaka in the eighth minute at Thien Truong Stadium, converting a powerful header from the edge of the six-yard box after Ryo Hatsuse had whipped in an inviting cross from the left.
Issam Jebali then almost doubled G-Osaka’s lead in the 37th minute, breaking in behind after a long ball forward but seeing his shot from an angle saved by Nam Dinh goalkeeper Caique.
Caique then made another impressive reflex save in the 44th minute, reacting sharply to keep out a fizzing Takashi Usami shot after the ball broke to him inside the area.
The second half was a tense affair as Nam Dinh looked to find a way back into the game, but G-Osaka stood firm in the face of the host’s aerial attacks and crosses into the box.
The closest Nam Dinh came to finding an equaliser was in the 87th minute when substitute Ly Cong Hoang Anh fired a flying volley towards goal, but Masaaki Higashiguchi got down quickly to make the stop after the ball took a slight deflection off Takeru Kishimoto.
