AFC Champions League Elite Gameweek 5, East
Chengdu Better City 1 - 1 FT Sanfrecce Hiroshima
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Futmetrix Verdict
100
FT
Sun, Oct 25
Barcelona
1-2
Real Madrid
⚡ Intensity
68
⚖️ Balance
42
🏆 Stakes
100
🎲 Upset
60
Mbappé breaks El Clásico late
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
11' Timo Letschert
HT
52' Tim Chow
54' Felipe Silva
58' ↓ Romulo ↑P. Delgado
↓ N. Arai ↑D. Suga 60'
↓ K. Kinoshita ↑M. Kato 60'
M. Kato (S. Nakamura) 63'
70' ↓ Y. Dong ↑Yuan Mincheng
↓ T. Arslan ↑N. Maeda 86'
90'+2 ↓ Yang Ming-Yang ↑Yan Dinghao
90'+2 ↓ Chengdu Better City ↑Liao Rongxiang
90'+2 ↓ Wei Shihao ↑Li Moyu
90'+5 Dinghao Yan
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Chengdu Better City
Goalkeepers
Jian Tao 
PROVOCATEUR
1
Fouls Won
1
Fouls Won
1
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Defenders
Hu Hetao 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
3
Tackles
83%
Duel Win %
Timo Letschert 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dong Yanfeng
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
70
Total Mins
70
Entry
Li Yang 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Yahav Gurfinkel
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Wei Shihao 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
14%
Pass Acc
Tim Chow
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
6
Duels Won
1
Pens Won
Yang Mingyang
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Rômulo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
58
Total Mins
58
Entry
Forwards
Felipe Silva 
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
BENCH
Liu Dianzuo 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Wang Dongsheng
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Han Pengfei
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yuan Mincheng
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
20
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tang Xin
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mirahmetjan Muzepper
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yan Dinghao
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gan Chao
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Liao Rongxiang
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Pedro Delgado
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
31
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Li Moyu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tang Chuang
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Goalkeepers
Keisuke Osako
PROVOCATEUR
1
Fouls Won
1
Fouls Won
2
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Defenders
Tsukasa Shiotani
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Hayato Araki 
FRIENDLY FIRE
Pen Given
Mistake
Pen Given
Mistake
4
Fouls
6.6
Rating
Taichi Yamasaki
PROVOCATEUR
2
Fouls Won
2
Fouls Won
6
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Midfielders
Shuto Nakano
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tolgay Arslan 
NPC
86
Minutes
86
Minutes
27%
Pass Acc
6.3
Rating
Satoshi Tanaka
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Naoto Arai
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
60
Total Mins
60
Entry
Forwards
Ryo Germain
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sota Nakamura 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.9
Rating
Kosuke Kinoshita
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
60
Total Mins
60
Entry
BENCH
Yudai Tanaka
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Cailen Hill
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Yusuke Chajima
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sota Koshimichi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Daiki Suga
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
30
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Naoki Maeda
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Aren Inoue
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Mutsuki Kato 
SUPER SUB
1
Goal
1
Goal
30
Minutes
7.2
Rating
Valère Germain
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
League Standings
P: 5 GD: +6
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +3
P: 5 GD: +3
P: 5 GD: +2
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: +1
P: 5 GD: -1
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: -2
P: 5 GD: -3
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Chengdu Better City
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Chengdu Better City
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Spoils Shared at Phoenix Hill
Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 56/100. A gritty stalemate in Chengdu sees Sanfrecce Hiroshima maintain their top-three standing while Chengdu Better City continues their search for a breakthrough victory in the continental stage.
The Tactical Stand-off
The atmosphere at the Chengdu Phoenix Hill Football Stadium was charged with anticipation as Chengdu Better City looked to defy their recent form. From the outset, the visitors from Japan attempted to impose their authority, recording a Balance rating of 1.6 that reflected their slightly superior tactical structure. Sanfrecce Hiroshima controlled possession with 59%, patiently probing for openings in a compact home defence. Despite the territorial advantage, the early exchanges lacked a clinical edge. The home side, wary of their opponents' rank in the table, focused on structural integrity, limiting the visitors to speculative efforts from distance. An Intensity score of 2.9 highlights a match played more in the minds of the managers than in the penalty areas during the opening phase.
Breaking the Resistance
The match sparked into life as the second half progressed, though the Stakes level of 1.0 suggested a cautious approach from both camps. A barrage of 11 shots from Sanfrecce Hiroshima eventually tested the resolve of the Chengdu Better City backline. While the visitors created two big chances and forced several saves, they found a stubborn opponent unwilling to buckle under pressure. The Chinese outfit, despite having only 41% of the ball, were efficient in their transitions, making the most of their four shots on target. This period was defined by a midfield battle where fouls were frequent—17 from the hosts alone—disrupting the rhythm that the J-League side desperately tried to establish in the final third.
Resolution in the Mist
As the clock ticked down, the Upset Factor remained at 0.0, indicating that while the draw was a respectable result for the hosts, it followed the expected competitive curve for a match of this nature. Sanfrecce Hiroshima continued to push, earning seven corners and peppering the box with 27 crosses, but the final whistle confirmed a 1-1 result. For Chengdu Better City, this hard-earned point provides a foundation to build upon, even if their winless run stretches further. For the visitors, the result feels like a missed opportunity to cement their position at the top of the group, leaving them to reflect on 119 failed passes that prevented them from turning dominance into a maximum points haul.
Key Questions
What was the final score between Chengdu Better City and Sanfrecce Hiroshima?
The match ended in a 1-1 draw at the Chengdu Phoenix Hill Football Stadium.
Which team dominated possession during the match?
Sanfrecce Hiroshima controlled possession with 59% of the ball compared to 41% for Chengdu Better City.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
Must-Win Night in Chengdu
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 32/100. This is a high-stakes clash where Sanfrecce can consolidate their top-eight status while Chengdu face a winner-takes-all fight for survival.
The Setup
As the AFC Champions League league phase nears its climax, the pressure at the Chengdu Phoenix Hill Football Stadium is palpable. Chengdu Better City enters this contest in a desperate 10th position, having managed just one win in their last five matches. A Form rating of 3.8 reflects their current struggles, leaving them precariously close to elimination. Conversely, Sanfrecce Hiroshima sits comfortably in 3rd place with 14 points, looking to secure direct qualification to the next stage. Despite a Stars score of 1.7 indicating a lack of marquee names, the tactical Balance of the Japanese visitors makes them a formidable opponent on foreign soil.
Key Battle
The outcome hinges on the duel in the middle of the park. Rômulo will be tasked with orchestrating the home side’s transitions, but he faces a stern test against H. Kawabe. Kawabe has been the engine for Sanfrecce, and his ability to disrupt Chengdu's rhythm will be vital. If Y. Gurfinkel can provide enough defensive cover to allow Chow Tim to push forward, Chengdu might find a gap, but Sanfrecce’s backline, anchored by H. Araki, has been remarkably disciplined this season.
Our Prediction
Sanfrecce Hiroshima are likely to exploit the spaces left by a desperate Chengdu side. While the hosts will throw everything forward to keep their campaign alive, the clinical nature of the visitors should shine through. Expect K. Osako to remain relatively untroubled as Sanfrecce control the tempo and strike twice on the break. A 0-2 scoreline reflects the gap in quality and current confidence.