Gwangju FC will try to advance to the quarterfinals of ACLE today..."Citizen's team for the first time." Are you making a new history
Gwangju FC will try to advance to the quarterfinals of ACLE today..."Citizen's team for the first time." Are you making a new history
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Gwangju FC of the K-League 1 will try to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE).
Gwangju was the only K-League club that participated in ACLE to survive. Ulsan HD and Pohang Stirlies, corporate teams, were eliminated from the league stage earlier. Gwangju's performance in ACLE will become a new history as it is dubbed "the first of its kind by a provincial team." Although it is not an easy goal, Gwangju's advance to the quarterfinals will be a game that cannot be avoided as it is a game that not only determines team careers but also K-League's pride.
Gwangju will play the second leg of the 2024-25 ACLE round of 16 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 12th.
The outlook of the match is unfavorable to Gwangju. Gwangju lost 0-2 in the first round of the round of 16 teams held in Kobe on the 5th, and if it wants to advance to the quarterfinals, it will have to win the second round by more than three goals.
Gwangju, which faced J-League 1 champion Vissel Kobe twice in ACLE last year, failed to score a single shot and was completely defeated 0-2.
Having brought Kobe home, Gwangju is committed to using this as an opportunity to pay back for his humiliation. Although the team failed to stage any significant counterattack at the league stage last year, it showed its own way to attack the team equally in the first round match of the round of 16.
"Overall, we are well prepared for the game," Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo said. "A dam is bound to collapse into a small hole. The most important thing is to score a goal first," Lee said. "It is a good opportunity for our players to play more aggressively."
Asani desperately needs to play as a player in Gwangju. Asani has scored seven goals so far in the ACLE, tying with Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nasr), Salem Aldosari (Al-Hilal), and Andersson López (Yokhama) in scoring. He has also scored three goals in the K-League this season, boasting outstanding scoring skills.
In response, coach Takayuki Yoshida Vissel Kobe was wary of Asani at a pre-press conference.
Gwangju is also encouraged by the fact that the team has been undefeated with three wins and one draw at its first ACLE home game. Gwangju showed strong performance at home, winning 7-3 at the first ACLE home game against Yokohama F. Marinos. The team is aiming to come from behind in front of its home fans again this time.
If the team succeeds in turning the tables and passes the round of 16, it will achieve a great feat of advancing to the quarterfinals not only for the first time in the team but also for the first time in the K-League city and provincial teams to host the AFC Championship. It will also become the first K-League team to advance to the quarterfinals after being reorganized into ACLE.
Meanwhile, Jeonbuk Hyundai, which will participate in the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2), will play the second leg of the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney, Australia, at 5 p.m. on the 13th.
Jeonbuk, 토토사이트 which was completely defeated 0-2 in the first round of the quarterfinals at Mir Stadium in Yongin on the 6th, also has to win by more than three goals.
However, Jeonbuk has lost three official matches without scoring, including the match against Sydney, so it is in a bad mood. In addition, it is physically difficult to play against Gangwon FC on the 9th and move to Sydney.
Jeonbuk is in a difficult situation, but it needs to rebound to become the first team to win the ACL2. The reversal against Sydney can be a big boost to Jeonbuk, which is starting anew under Gus Foye's leadership.