Vissel Kobe Advances to AFC Champions League Quarterfinals

Japan's Vissel Kobe has secured a spot in the AFC Champions League quarterfinals following a 2-1 triumph over South Korea's FC Seoul. The win came as a result of late goals from Yuya Osako and Yosuke Ideguchi, allowing Kobe to advance 3-1 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Patryk Klimala had earlier scored for FC Seoul, but it wasn't enough to overturn the deficit. Kobe's qualification marks them as the second Japanese club to reach the quarterfinals, following Machida Zelvia. Meanwhile, Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia also proceeds, despite losing to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, due to their first-leg victory.

The competition remains divided into eastern and western zones until the quarterfinals, but games in the western zone are postponed due to conflict in Iran. All quarterfinal matches are set to occur in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from April 16–25, awaiting confirmation for western zone fixtures.