AFC Champions League Elite Gameweek 6, East
Vissel Kobe 2 - 2 FT Chengdu Better City
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Futmetrix Verdict
100
FT
Fri, Sep 11
Kyoto Sanga
2-3
Kashiwa Reysol
⚡ Intensity
98
⚖️ Balance
91
🏆 Stakes
56
🎲 Upset
0
Segawa sparks stunning ten-man Reysol comeback.
Futmetrix Verdict
23
FT
Fri, Sep 11
Sevilla
1-0
Valencia
⚡ Intensity
21
⚖️ Balance
28
🏆 Stakes
10
🎲 Upset
0
Late Iglesias strike sinks struggling Valencia.
Futmetrix Verdict
90
FT
Sat, Sep 12
Coritiba
3-3
Atletico Paranaense
⚡ Intensity
100
⚖️ Balance
68
🏆 Stakes
0
🎲 Upset
29
Stoppage-time brace completes ten-man miracle.
Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
Yanfeng Dong 3'
18' Y. Muto (Erik)
Felipe Silva (T. Chow) 45'
HT
↓ Romulo ↑Liao Rongxiang 46'
60' ↓ Erik ↑Y. Osako
63' Haruya Ide
Tim Chow 66'
69' Yuya Kuwasaki
71' ↓ H. Ide ↑T. Miyashiro
71' ↓ Y. Kuwasaki ↑T. Ogihara
Felipe Silva 77'
↓ Y. Dong ↑Yuan Mincheng 78'
↓ H. Hu ↑Gan Chao 79'
81' ↓ N. Iino ↑R. Hirose
81' ↓ G. Sakai ↑K. Nagato
87' Daiju Sasaki
90' D. Sasaki
↓ Y. Li ↑Yang Shuai 90'+1
↓ Yang Ming-Yang ↑Yan Dinghao 90'+3
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Vissel Kobe
Goalkeepers
Shuichi Gonda 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Nanasei Iino 
ARCHITECT
3
Key Passes
3
Key Passes
0
Assists
41%
Pass Acc
Tetsushi Yamakawa 
MAGNET
87
Activity
87
Activity
79
Passes
8
Duels
Yuki Honda
MAGNET
95
Activity
95
Activity
85
Passes
10
Duels
Gotoku Sakai 
ENFORCER
3
Tackles
3
Tackles
8
Duels Won
73%
Win %
Midfielders
Yosuke Ideguchi 
FRIENDLY FIRE
Pen Given
Mistake
Pen Given
Mistake
2
Fouls
6.5
Rating
Yuya Kuwasaki
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
71
Total Mins
71
Entry
Haruya Ide
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
71
Total Mins
71
Entry
Forwards
Yoshinori Muto 
FINISHER
1
Goals
1
Goals
3
Shots
8
Rating
Daiju Sasaki 
CLUTCH HERO
90
Goal Time
90
Goal Time
Penalty
Impact
7.3
Rating
Erik 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.6
Rating
BENCH
Daiya Maekawa 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Richard Monday
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Rikuto Hirose
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
9
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Takuya Iwanami
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Katsuya Nagato
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
9
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Takahiro Ohgihara
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
19
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kakeru Yamauchi
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gustavo Klismahn
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Taisei Miyashiro
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
19
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yuya Osako
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
30
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jean Patrick
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ren Komatsu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Chengdu Better City
Goalkeepers
Jian Tao 
PROVOCATEUR
1
Fouls Won
1
Fouls Won
1
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Defenders
Timo Letschert
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dong Yanfeng 
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
1
On Target
Li Yang
FRIENDLY FIRE
Pen Given
Mistake
Pen Given
Mistake
1
Fouls
6.2
Rating
Midfielders
Hu Hetao
LATE SHIFT
11
Late Mins
11
Late Mins
79
Total Mins
79
Entry
Yang Mingyang 
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
25%
Pass Acc
6.9
Rating
Tim Chow
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.2
Rating
Yahav Gurfinkel
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Forwards
Rômulo
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
46
Entry
Wei Shihao
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
6%
Pass Acc
Felipe Silva 
CLOSER
1
Late Goals
1
Late Goals
0
Late Assists
75
Minute
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
Yuan Mincheng
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
12
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yang Shuai
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tang Xin
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
11
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Liao Rongxiang
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
45
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Pedro Delgado
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Li Moyu
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
League Standings
P: 6 GD: +6
P: 6 GD: +5
P: 6 GD: +3
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: +3
P: 6 GD: +1
P: 6 GD: -1
P: 6 GD: -1
P: 6 GD: -2
P: 6 GD: -2
P: 6 GD: -4
League Standings
P: 8 GD: +8
P: 8 GD: +7
P: 8 GD: +4
P: 8 GD: +2
P: 8 GD: +2
P: 8 GD: +1
P: 8 GD: +1
P: 8 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: -2
P: 8 GD: -4
P: 8 GD: -8
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Vissel Kobe
Chengdu Better City
Vissel Kobe
Chengdu Better City
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Tactical Gridlock Ends in High-Scoring Draw
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 39/100. Vissel Kobe remains atop the group standings despite being held by a resilient and efficient Chengdu side in a match defined by contrasting styles.
The Territorial Siege
The match at Noevir Stadium began with a clear narrative as Vissel Kobe established immediate control, moving the ball with a precision that left the visitors chasing shadows. Dominating possession with 66% of the ball and completing 561 passes, the home side looked to exploit every inch of the pitch. An Intensity score of 7.1 reflects a match where the tempo was dictated by Kobe's midfield rotation, yet Chengdu Better City remained structurally sound. Despite the pressure, the visitors refused to buckle, maintaining a compact low block that forced Kobe into wide areas. While the Japanese side found success in the final third with 8 shots inside the box, the opening exchanges were a testament to the tactical discipline of a Chengdu side that knew they would have to suffer to succeed.
The Efficiency Gap
The turning point of this encounter lay in the sheer efficiency of the visitors' transition play. While Kobe held the ball, Chengdu was arguably more dangerous when they won it, racking up 11 total shots compared to Kobe's 10. The Balance rating of 2.3 underscores how the game swung between Kobe’s intricate build-up and Chengdu’s directness. Even with significantly less of the ball, the Chinese side forced 3 crucial saves and utilized their physical presence to disrupt Kobe's rhythm, committing 14 fouls to break up play. This grit allowed them to keep the scoreline level in a 2.2-2.2 distribution that rewarded their clinical nature. Kobe’s inability to turn their 6 corners and high pass accuracy (81%) into a winning margin highlighted a rare lack of a clinical edge when it mattered most.
Resolution and Table Implications
As the final whistle blew, the 2-2 scoreline served as a fair reflection of a contest where neither side could deliver the knockout blow. For Vissel Kobe, the result keeps them in 1st place with 16 points, though the draw feels like a missed opportunity to pull further away at the top of the table. For Chengdu Better City, sitting in 10th position, this point is a vital moral booster that stops a run of poor form. The Stakes score of 1.0 suggests this wasn't a season-defining fixture, but the tactical lessons learned will be invaluable for both managers. With an Upset factor of 0.0, the data confirms that while the scoreline was close, the outcome aligned with the competitive nature of the AFC Champions League. Kobe will look to sharpen their finishing, while Chengdu departs Japan knowing their defensive blueprint can frustrate the continent's elite.
Key Questions
How did this draw affect Vissel Kobe's position?
Vissel Kobe remains in 1st place with 16 points from 7 matches.
What was the possession breakdown?
Vissel Kobe dominated possession with 66% compared to Chengdu Better City's 34%.
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.
Vissel Kobe’s Continental Surge Meets Chengdu’s Desperation
Average Entertainment Futmetrix Score: 44/100. A clash of extremes sees the group leaders look to extinguish the playoff hopes of a Chinese side lacking bite.
The Setup
The hierarchy of the East is currently a hierarchy of one. Vissel Kobe enters December 09, 2025, sitting comfortably atop the table with 16 points, having turned the Noevir Stadium into a fortress of technical efficiency. While their Form rating reflects a minor blip in their last domestic outing, their continental dominance remains undisputed. Conversely, Chengdu Better City arrives with their backs against the wall. Positioned 10th and having managed only one victory in seven games, the visitors are fighting for their survival in the top-24 playoff bracket. The Stakes are massive for the visitors, but a lack of established Stars has seen them struggle to break down elite Japanese opposition this season.
Key Battle
The tactical friction will occur in the central third. Kobe’s philosophy revolves around recycling possession and exploiting the half-spaces created by their fluid movement. Chengdu’s hope lies in a disciplined low block and immediate verticality on the counter. It is a battle of Japanese patience against Chinese structural resilience; if the visitors cannot disrupt the home side’s rhythm early, their defensive unit will eventually buckle under the weight of constant pressure.
Our Prediction
Expect a professional, albeit one-sided, performance. Kobe will dominate the ball, with T. Miyashiro pulling strings in the final third and finding the gaps in a tired defence. Chengdu Better City will look to Rômulo for a creative spark, but Vissel’s backline, marshalled by Matheus Thuler, is far too organised to be caught out. Kobe should coast to a 2-0 victory, securing their top-seed status.