The AFC Champions League kicked off in December as the final round of the group stage entered the final round of competition, with the mighty teams battling it out for a valuable place to qualify for the knockout rounds. Let's take a look back at some of the key contests and some important facts about them.
First of all, for fans in the Middle East, they witnessed history on December 5th, when the two Arab powerhouses in the AFC Champions League, Jeddah United and Riyadh Crescent, both qualified for top of their group. In particular, Riyadh Crescent Club won a remarkable 15-game winning streak in the group stage! The match against Mazandaran was thrilling, and in just two hours of fierce fighting, the two teams presented a wonderful football feast for the audience. However, Riyadh Crescent still won this crucial battle by a narrow margin of 2:1 with the strength and luck of the better team.
On the other side of the continent, Uzbek teams Nasaf and Namangan did not disappoint, showing their strength and tenacity to advance to the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League! Nasaf beat Kazakhstani side Astana 6-1, while Namangan beat Iranian side Tehran Independiente 6-2. Namangan made history by beating mighty Mumbai City for the first time in the AFC Champions League.
Next, let's take a look at the other groups. First up is the competition for Group A, with Ness FC finishing top of the group stage with five wins and one draw, meaning they will face third place from the other groups in the knockout stages. And for Riyadh Crescent, their prospects are also quite positive, with 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss in this group and a successful qualification for the round of 16.
For Cairo Nationals, their season has not been so smooth. Although they finished third in Group A with 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses, that didn't help them qualify. In addition, in the other match in this group, Faisarispor defeated Victoria Sharjah with a shocking 2-1 comeback to secure the fourth place in the group stage and breathe new life into the round of 16 list.
In Group B of this AFC Champions League, South Korean giants Jeonbuk Hyundai stood out and ranked first with a record of 5 wins and 1 loss. The AFC Champions League newcomer Adelaide United performed poorly, with only 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses, ranking first at the bottom of the group and facing the risk of elimination.
In this group, the THAAD team was undoubtedly lucky, as they were placed against weaker opponents, making their performance more consistent. Although they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the opening round, they then rebounded in form and managed to retain their top two spots. In 10 matches, they have a total of 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses, accumulating 15 points and temporarily ranking second in the group.
In stark contrast to the Saad team are the Nassaf team, who have only two wins, four draws and four losses in 10 games, and are fourth in the group with 10 points. Their performance in this AFC Champions League has clearly not been satisfactory, and they took the lead at one point in a crucial game against Adelaide United, only to be turned back by their opponents.
In this group, however, there is a suspense as to who will take the third place in the group. In the first two rounds, Singapore's league champions, the Lion City Mariners, took the lead at one point, but then they fell into a slump. In the first two rounds, they only managed to achieve a record of 1 win and 1 loss, accumulating 3 points and finishing second from the bottom of the group. The other team in the group, Thailand's Buriram United, performed well in the first two rounds, with two wins and one draw, accumulating seven points and finishing third in the group.
It is worth noting that there is another interesting aspect of the Group B match, which is Sharjah FC's unbeaten home record. Sharjah FC are unbeaten at home in this group with 6 wins and 1 draw in their home matches, accumulating 19 points. In away matches, they have only 1 win and 2 defeats, accumulating 4 points.
Sharjah FC's unbeaten home record has also been challenged in this AFC Champions League. In the first two rounds, Sharjah FC suffered back-to-back defeats at home, losing 1-2 to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the first round and then losing 0-1 to Pohang Steelers in the second round. It also puts their first place in the group at risk.
In other group matches, there were also some surprises. For example, Australia's Melbourne City have performed well in the first two rounds, with two wins and one draw, and are second in the group with seven points. South Korea's Pohang Steelers achieved a record of 1 win and 1 loss in the first two rounds, accumulating 3 points and ranking third in the group.
In this AFC Champions League, there are a number of East Asian teams that have performed well. For example, Pohang Steelers led Sharjah FC 2-0 in the first round of matches, but were eventually reversed by their opponents. And Kawasaki Frontale also had a good first round as they beat the Nagoya Whales 2-1.
At present, the competition of each group is nearing the end. Among them, the matches in Groups A and D have all ended, while the final round of matches in Groups B and C remains. In the next matches, teams will compete fiercely for the right to qualify from the group.
In the 2023 AFC Champions League, many teams have shown their strength and style, bringing countless surprises and wonderful moments to the fans. Although only nine teams managed to make the cut, the performances of the other teams were just as memorable. Their fighting spirit on the field and their never-give-up attitude prove that the spirit of football is not only about winning games, but also about the love and dedication to football. Although these teams have not been able to go far in the game, their performances have made people deeply aware of the charm and spirit of football.
Their hard work, perseverance and struggle in the game have become an eternal memory in the hearts of football fans around the world. Here, we would like to extend our warm congratulations to all the teams participating in the AFC Champions League, who deserve our respect and praise for their performance in the competition. We are also looking forward to the nine teams that have successfully qualified to continue their good form in the next knockout stages, play their best, and bring more exciting games to the fans." Let's look forward to many more brilliant achievements from them in the future!