[Sports Seoul | Reporter Kim Yong-il] A miracle for Kobe—or humiliation?
FC Seoul, one of K League 1’s established clubs, heads to Japan with pride on the line for the 2025–2026 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) round-of-16 second leg.
Kim Gi-dong’s side will face J.League powerhouse Vissel Kobe at Noevir Stadium Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on the 11th. The winner over the two legs moves into the ACLE quarterfinals.
Seoul advanced to the round of 16 from the ACLE East Asia league stage in seventh place (2–4–2, 10 points). They now face a tough task against second-place Kobe (5–1–2, 16 points), who are clear favorites on paper.
Seoul suffered a painful home defeat in the first leg on the 11th. In the first half, Brazilian center-back Mateus Tuller rose to head in the match-winner from a corner.
Seoul won a penalty in the second half, but striker Huis had his spot kick saved by Kobe goalkeeper Maegawa Daiya.
The teams also met in the league on the 10th of last month, when Seoul were beaten 2–0 in Kobe after conceding goals to Yoshinori Muto and Gotoku Sakai. This year, Seoul have faced Kobe twice and failed to score in both matches.
The gap between Korean and Japanese sides has been widening, not only at national-team levels but at club level too. Seoul have struggled against Kobe’s depth and the quality of their domestic players.
Kobe combines Japan’s trademark passing with organized, aggressive pressing. German coach Michael Skibbe pushes his wingers high to join the press and the team is adept at cutting off passing lanes. Seoul introduced forwards such as Huis and Cheon Seong-hun in the second half to add bodies up front, but Kobe’s sustained pressure throughout the match caused persistent problems.
Even when Seoul increased their attacking numbers, Kobe dealt with the threat comfortably through the pairing of center-backs Tetsushi Yamagawa and Tuller.
To overturn the tie in the second leg, Seoul will need a clear tactical plan to nullify Kobe’s press—and a striker who can produce a moment of individual quality. Huis, who starred in K League 2 last season before joining Seoul, still looks like he needs more time to settle. Polish forward Klimala, who came into preseason in good shape, should take on a larger role. Seoul will also need support from attacking midfielders Song Min-gyu and Cho Young-wook—both of whom scored in the K League 1 opener—and creative passes from Brazilian playmaker Anderson.
The question now is whether Kim Gi-dong’s team can find the right formula in their third meeting with Kobe and earn the ticket to Saudi Arabia for the ACLE quarterfinals.
kyi0486@sportsseoul.com
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