ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ participants Johor Darul Ta’zim FC took a huge stride towards the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Elite on Wednesday with a 3-1 win over Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor.
Second-half goals from Ager Aketxe, Bérgson da Silva and Marcus Guilherme put Xisco Muñoz’s team in command of the Round of 16 tie, although an own goal by Néné in the 86th minute gave the J1 League outfit a glimmer of hope ahead of the second leg next week.
Shopee Cup™ holders Buriram United FC, meanwhile, conceded a stoppage time equaliser as the Thai League 1 side shared a 1-1 draw with Melbourne City FC on Tuesday.
Guilherme Bissoli had given Buriram United the lead with a stunning first-time strike in the 37th minute that found the top corner of Patrick Beach’s goal.
But Ben Mazzeo’s headed in Max Caputo’s cross in the fifth minute of time added on at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium to leave the tie in the balance going into the return clash in Thailand on Tuesday.
The winners of the last 16 ties will advance to the AFC Champions League Elite Finals series, which will see the competition’s quarter-finals, semi-finals and final played in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in April.
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