As the smoke cleared from the second round of the Asian Champions League quarterfinals, we witnessed three exciting matches. Riyadh Crescent, Al Ain and Ulsan HD all won by a landslide to advance to the top four. The Asian Champions League quarterfinals are now in full swing, with Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners set to decide the final spot.
The first focus is on the match between Riyadh Crescent and Jeddah. This match is the highlight of this season's AFC Champions League. In the first round, Riyadh Crescent showed their strength and dominance with a 2-0 win. Back at home, despite their best efforts, Jeddah United struggled to break through against Riyadh Crescent's solid defense and sharp counter-attacks. In the second half, Riyadh Crescent locked the score with 2-0 thanks to the goals of Shahrani and Malcolm, eliminating Jeddah United with a total score of 4-0 and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Another intriguing match was that between Al Ain and Riyadh. This match was also suspenseful and passionate. Riyadh was two goals down at home, but they didn't give up. They scored three goals in a row to equalize the total score with their tenacity and team spirit. After extra time, the two sides went head-to-head and the match was decided by a penalty shootout. Although Riyadh lost the penalty shootout, their performance won the respect and applause of the fans.
Meanwhile, the match between Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai is also exciting. These two Korean teams always have sparks flying when they face off in the AFC Champions League. In this match, Ulsan HD eliminated Jeonbuk Hyundai 2-1 on aggregate after three years with a 1-0 shutout in first-half stoppage time, returning to the quarterfinals after three years.
As of now, the Asian Champions League quarterfinalists have settled on three spots, namely Riyadh Crescent, Al Ain and Ulsan HD. The last place will be fought between Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners. Shandong Taishan, as the only team in the Chinese Super League (CSL), has the important task of competing for the glory of the CSL. After losing 1-2 on the road in the first round, they will have to go all out in the second round to make a comeback. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for Shandong Taishan. They need to prove their worth by their strength and win the honor for the Chinese Super League.
Specifically, Shandong Taishan only needs to net 2 goals in the second round, i.e. a 2-0 win, to successfully advance to the quarterfinals. A 3-0 win in regulation time would have been more prudent. After all, Riyadh and Al Ain's victories have vividly illustrated this point. Shandong Taishan will not be able to hold out until extra time!
