AFC Champions League Elite - MD3: What they said

AFC Champions League Elite
#ACLElite - Matchday 3: What they said
Sat, 26 October, 2024

Kuala Lumpur: Matchday Three of the AFC Champions League Elite™ 2024/25 concluded this past week and with it came plenty of exciting action across the breadth of Asia.

Thrilling matches, cracking goals and disappointing outings were all part of the ingredients so join the-AFC.com as we hear what those that matter had to say.

“We missed a lot of chances to score goals. Luck was not on our side today. I have never seen such a situation in my coaching career. This is the first time I am leading a team that missed so many opportunities.”

Al Shorta head coach Ahmed Salah was bemused after his side settled for a share of the points with Pakhtakor despite dominating the tie.

"Winning two matches and drawing one indicates that we are on the right track towards qualification and this is the most important thing for us at the moment"

Al Sadd SC head coach Feliz Sanchez is confident of his side's knockout stage chances, with the former champions having failed to advance in the past three editions.

"We achieved a difficult victory against Al Ain, who have a very strong team. We congratulate the Al Hilal fans on the victory. We have to enjoy this victory and then we have to improve in some aspects."

Al Hilal SFC head coach Jorge Jesus is a hard man to please despite the four-time Asian champions staying perfect with a thrilling win over Al Ain FC of the UAE.

#ACLElite | Al Rayyan SC (QAT) 1 - 2 Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA)

“I thank the players for the effort they put in the match, and we look forward to benefiting from these matches with the aim of developing more and moving forward in this important tournament."

Matthias Jaissle believes Al Ahli Saudi FC can only get better after they made it three wins out of three after defeating Qatar's Al Rayyan SC.

“In the second half, we played at a faster pace, and our level improved. We performed much better than in the first half, which led to the penalty that allowed us to equalise."

Milos Milojevic applauded his Al Wasl players for their ability to turn things around in the come-from-behind win against Qatar's Al Gharafa SC.

“Talisca's introduction made a significant difference. He contributed to increasing the game's tempo and was influential from the moment he stepped onto the pitch."

Stefano Pioli hailed Talisca's impact as the Brazilian made a key difference to Al Nassr Club after coming on, with the Saudi Arabia side edging Islamic Republic of Iran’s Esteghlal FC 1-0.

“I thought there was a really good and strong response, especially early in the game as we took control and scored twice."

Kevin Muscat praised the resilience of his Shanghai Port players after the China PR side defeated Central Coast Mariners of Australia 3-2 for the first win of their campaign.

"Our performance today was not satisfactory. What we prepared for and how we played were worlds apart. After going 2-0 up, our players lost focus. We switched to a defensive mentality."

Lee Jung-hyo is another man who is hard to please, with the Gwangju head coach not happy his players took their foot off the pedal in the 3-1 win over Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim.

“As the match progressed, I adapted to Ulsan's style of play. The first half was tough but eventually we found ways to break their defence down.”

Vissel Kobe head coach Takayuki Yoshida explaining how his side inflicted Korea Republic's Ulsan HD a third defeat of their campaign.

“We try to find a balance in each game and after 60 minutes, we made some changes and that brought a positive impact to our game and led to the late second goal.”

Shanghai Shenhua tactician Leonid Slutsky was pleased with his squad’s ability to adapt to his second half adjustments.

#ACLElite - Matchday 3: What they said