Latest AFC Champions League standings: Chengdu Rongcheng rises to fifth, Shanghai Port ranks tenth, tonight’s schedule features Shenhua vs. Ulsan

On October 1st Beijing time, the second round of the AFC Champions League kicked off. In the finished matches, Shanghai Port secured a 1-1 draw away to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and Chengdu Rongcheng claimed a 1-0 home win over Gangwon FC. Consequently, the latest table shows Seoul leading with two consecutive wins, Sanfrecce Hiroshima unbeaten in two games in second place, Chengdu rising to fifth after their win, and Shanghai Port in tenth. Tonight, Shenhua will compete against Korean side Ulsan!

Shanghai Port vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Shanghai Port, the Chinese Super League champions, suffered a tough 0-3 defeat to Vissel Kobe in their opening match, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima comfortably beat Melbourne City 2-0. Facing heavy pressure to win away, Shanghai Port struggled as Hiroshima launched fierce attacks from the start. In the 19th minute, Hiroshima capitalized on a corner with Hayato Araki’s header to open the scoring. After that, Shanghai Port’s goalkeeper kept a clean sheet, but the team failed to register a single shot on target. In the second half, Hiroshima continued pressing hard; Ryujiki Kato’s shot hit the post narrowly missing a goal. At the 83rd minute, Shanghai Port counterattacked swiftly, with Gabriel breaking through the defense to score an equalizer. Later, Gustavo received a red card, leaving Shanghai Port a man down, but their goalkeeper maintained outstanding form to keep the score level until the final whistle. Securing a 1-1 draw away was a hard-fought and impressive result for Shanghai Port!

Chengdu Rongcheng vs. Gangwon FC. This is Chengdu’s first appearance in the AFC Champions League. In the first round, playing away against Korean side Ulsan, they took an early lead but failed to hold it, suffering a defeat after a tough last three minutes including a red card for Delgado and a last-minute winning goal by the opponent, losing 1-2. In the second round against Gangwon FC, Chengdu started strong by blocking a dangerous shot early on. They created a chance from a corner; amid a scramble in the box, Yang Shuai headed an assist to Zhou Dingyang, who volleyed in the opener. Afterwards, Chengdu tightened their defense and kept a clean sheet, ultimately winning 1-0 to claim their first-ever AFC Champions League victory — a very impressive achievement!

Tonight at 8:15 PM, Shanghai Shenhua will take the field against Ulsan, aiming for their first win. Whether they can cause an upset remains uncertain, but hopefully they can secure at least a draw or a victory. In fierce encounters, the brave prevail — go for it!

Written by / Sports Novel