Japanese giants Yokohama F. Marinos and Kawasaki Frontale booked their places in the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite quarter-finals with emphatic victories over Chinese opponents. Yokohama cruised past Shanghai Port with a 5-1 aggregate win, while Kawasaki overturned a first-leg deficit to defeat Shanghai Shenhua 4-1 on aggregate. However, Vissel Kobe fell short as South Korea’s Gwangju FC continued their fairytale run, staging a dramatic comeback to secure a 3-0 extra-time victory and a 3-2 aggregate triumph.
Already holding a 1-0 first-leg advantage, Yokohama showcased their attacking firepower at Nissan Stadium, dismantling Shanghai Port with a 4-1 win. Daiya Tono struck just two minutes in to set the tone before Anderson Lopes doubled the lead in the 29th minute. Shanghai Port briefly threatened a response through Leonardo’s close-range finish in the 35th minute, but Yan Matheus restored Yokohama’s two-goal cushion just before halftime. Lopes then netted his second in the 56th minute to put the result beyond doubt, while Gustavo’s late strike for Shanghai Port was disallowed by VAR for offside.
Kawasaki put on a commanding display at Todoroki Athletics Stadium, overturning their 1-0 first-leg deficit with a dominant 4-0 victory over Shanghai Shenhua. Asahi Sasaki set the tone in the 24th minute with a stunning long-range strike, before Erison doubled the lead in the 61st minute. Just four minutes later, Tatsuya Ito slotted the ball between the keeper and defenders to make it 3-0, and Marcinho capped off the rout with a stoppage-time tap-in.
While Yokohama and Kawasaki cruised into the quarter-finals, Vissel Kobe fell short at Gwangju World Cup Stadium, where tournament debutants Gwangju pulled off another stunning upset. Park Jeong-in sparked the comeback with a towering header in the 18th minute, and despite a string of crucial saves from Vissel goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa, VAR awarded Gwangju a penalty in the 85th minute for a handball by Takuya Iwanami. Jasir Asani calmly converted from the spot, erasing Vissel’s 2-0 first-leg advantage and forcing extra time. The Albanian international then sealed Gwangju’s historic quarter-final berth in the 118th minute with a spectacular long-range strike, completing a remarkable turnaround for the underdogs.
With the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final set to take place in Saudi Arabia this April, Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Gwangju will now set their sights on the next challenge in their pursuit of continental glory. As the competition heats up, the Japanese duo will aim to continue their dominance, while Gwangju hopes to extend their dream run against Asia’s elite.