Host Vissel Kobe secured a 1-0 victory over Ulsan HD on Wednesday as the reigning J-League champions returned to the top of the eastern standings in the Asian Champions League Elite.
Jean Patric scored the only goal of the match to give Takayuki Yoshida’s side their third win in four games and ensure Kobe recovered from a 4-3 loss to Gangwon FC in the previous round.
The result moves Kobe back to first place in the 12-team standings as the competition phase reached the halfway point.
The top eight finishers in both West and East Asia will advance to the knockout rounds in March, while the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be played in Saudi Arabia in April.
Kobe had dominated throughout at the Misaki Park Stadium, with Yuya Osako hitting the top of the crossbar with a shot on the turn in the 35th minute.
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But the Japanese team had to wait until the 58th minute to take the lead when Patric finished off an attacking move with a left-foot effort that bounced past goalkeeper Moon Jung-in.
Meanwhile, Johor Darul Ta’zim moved into second place with a 3-1 win over Shanghai Shenhua as the Malaysians recorded their second straight win in the competition.
Xisco Munoz’s side were frustrated by Shenhua goalkeeper Bao Yaxiong throughout the opening period, but the hosts took the lead three minutes after the restart when Jonathan Silva buried Arif Aiman’s pass in front of the goal.
Oscar Arribas doubled the lead in the 63rd minute with a fine strike into the bottom corner after controlling the ball on his chest.
A Saulo Minero penalty with 19 minutes to go gave Shenhua hope of salvaging a point, but Silva punched his second into the top corner with three minutes remaining to put the result beyond doubt.
Published on November 6, 2025
