Brazilian defender Matheus Thuler headed in the only goal as Vissel Kobe of Japan defeated FC Seoul of South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday in the first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite’s round of 16.
Leonardo Ruiz had a chance to equalize for Seoul but missed a penalty in the second half.
“I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t win,” Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong said. “We showed our fight to turn it around but the round of 16 is not over yet and I am confident that we will win the next game.”
Benjamin Mazzeo’s strike in injury time earned Australia’s Melbourne City a 1-1 draw with Buriram United ahead of next week’s second leg in Thailand, while Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia beat Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-1.
In the remaining fixture in the eastern half of the competition, South Korea’s Gangwon FC and Japan’s Machida Zelvia played out a 0-0 draw.
Games in the western zone have all been postponed following the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran. The tournament is divided into two geographic halves until the quarterfinals.
All matches from the quarterfinal stage onward are scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from April 16–25 but it’s unclear when games in the western zone can resume.
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