AFC Champions League Elite
Yuya Osako opened the scoring in the 20th minute before setting up Haruya Ide to head in his side’s second nine minutes later to put Takayuki Yoshida’s side in prime position to book a place in the draw for April’s quarter-finals.
Kobe made the early running when Ide stepped inside onto his left to try his luck from 20 yards, only for his shot to fly straight into the hands of goalkeeper Kim Kyeong-min. Five minutes later Osako sliced Rikuto Hirose’s corner well wide.
That was an early sign of what was to come and before long the home side’s superiority told with Osako pouncing.
Nanasei Iino’s free kick from the right was swung into the penalty area and, after Ide’s initial headed effort came back off the woodwork, former Japan international striker Osako happily nodded in.
Gwangju responded through Kim Jin-ho, whose run into the heart of the Kobe area ended with the ball pulled back to Jasir Asani, but the tournament’s joint-leading scorer saw his shot blocked and cleared by the defence.
By the time the game had reached the half hour mark, Kobe had doubled their lead. Osako was involved again, delivering an inch-perfect cross from the right that Ide rose to meet, glancing the ball wide of Kim Kyeong-min and over the line via the goalkeeper’s right post.
Asani threatened to unlock the Kobe defence in the dying seconds of the half in a rare Gwangju foray forward, embarking on a run across the face of goal to feed the ball to Kim Han-gil but his shot from wide on the left flew harmlessly over the bar.
With a two-goal lead Kobe were in control and, 12 minutes after the restart, Iino’s charge down the left forced Gwangju captain Lee Min-ki to throw in an all-important block. Soon after Takahiro Ohgihara’s shot from outside the area flew across the face of goal.
While Kobe were dominating, Gwangju still carried a threat on the counter and in particular through Asani, who cut in from the right to unleash a low shot in the 64th minute that flew narrowly wide.
The visitors increased the pressure as the final whistle approached but the Kobe defence remained intact to allow Vissel to take a healthy advance into the return on Wednesday.
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