K League in AFC Champions League Takeaways After Matchday Four

Matchday four marked the halfway point of the AFC Champions League Elite League Stage, while the ACL Two Group Stage is nearing its conclusion. K League's five entrants in Asia's club competitions have taken different approaches which, naturally, have yielded different results.

Club-by-Club Takeaways

AFC Champions League Elite

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors - Hedging their bets

With two wins, one draw, and one loss, Jeonbuk have enjoyed a productive start to the 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Elite League Stage. Domestic form has been hit and miss, so the ACL appears to be a chance to rebuild some momentum and improve morale. Manager Chung Jung-yong has fielded strong sides and, aside from the away loss to Vissel Kobe, has seen this pay dividends. They are out of the Korea Cup and so the ACL is the last competition they have to win something and restore some pride.

Jeonbuk have seven points and would probably seal a place in the knockouts with one more win from their remaining four games. They have Kashima Antlers (a), Gamba Osaka (h), Kyoto Sanga (h), and Shanghai Port (h) to see out the rest of the League Stage.

Daejeon Hana Citizen - Domestic matters take priority

K League is still the priority. But for what? To make sure there's AFC Champions League football next season only to field rotated lineups again? Make it make sense. Daejeon's approach to the ACL - their first taste of continental football in 23 years - has been somewhat puzzling. Manager Hwang Sun-hong has rested certain key names for the midweek ACL matches, then recalled them for league matches. It can only be assumed that Daejeon are using this first season back in ACL as a practice run before giving it a good go next time around. 

It started well for the Purples, defeating Kyoto Sanga 1-0 at home then coming from behind to draw 1-1 away to Shanghai Port. But back-to-back losses against J.League opposition - first at home to Vissel Kobe, then away to Kashiwa Reysol - have left Daejeon with just four points and work to do to qualify for the knockouts. The Purples will need a switch in approach for the visit of Beijing Guoan in Matchday 5. After that, they face a difficult trip to Malaysia to face JDT, then host Kashima Antlers, before seeing the League Stage out with Gamba Osaka way.

Pohang Steelers - League form seeping into ACL

Pohang Steelers have begun to take the competition seriously, but only after second-string lineups lost the first two matches. Pohang prioritised the league with a place in the top six, giving it more importance than results on the continent, but after dropping into Final B, and with no threat of relegation, Park Tae-ha - and then caretaker Kim Seong-jae - decided to field stronger lineups. Results haven't been forthcoming, although there was a 3-3 draw with Gamba Osaka just this week, a game in which Pohang fought back three times to draw level and eventually seal a point. 

That's the only point Pohang have, leaving them with an extremely slim chance of progressing. The point was described as "priceless" by Kim Seong-jae, but that may just be in the context of the season and to help give the team a boost to see the year out. The Steelers finish the League Stage with Kyoto Sanga (a), Shanghai Port (h), Vissel Kobe (a), and Kashiwa Reysol (h).

AFC Champions League Two

FC Seoul - Semi-serious

FC Seoul seemed to turn their noses up at AFC Champions League Two for their first two matches. Manager Kim Gi-dong has said in press conferences that he wants to progress in the competition, but heavily rotated lineups against Persib Bandung at home and away to Melbourne Victory contradicted that, and yielded zero points, zero goals scored, and four against. Even with the league title a near certainty - a matter of when and not if - Kim Gi-dong sent a third string to Melbourne and they got battered. But once the league title was sealed, stronger lineups tackled Seoul's third and fourth matches of Group E - both against The Cong-Viettel of Vietnam. 

The 5-0 away win in Matchday Three was almost like a lightbulb moment - if Seoul had taken the first two games seriously, they could be comfortably top of the group. But maybe they aren't fussed about the competition? They should be, though. Seoul have never won the ACL, and frankly any K League team in ACL Two should be looking to win it because they are certainly capable. With Kim Gi-dong's first silverware now sealed, it might be a good idea to strike while the iron is hot and try to build a dynasty. 

AFC Champions League Two works in a Group Stage format, meaning Seoul have just two more matches left - Persib Bandung away, then Melbourne Victory at home. They sit second in the group with their destiny in their own hands and should be set for a deep run in the competition. It would be a shame to not see the Group Stage out strongly.

Gangwon FC - Missed opportunity?

The Bears appear to be looking a gifthorse in the mouth, although manager Jeong Kyung-ho at least seemed to be taking the competition a bit more seriously when Final A was secured. Second-string lineups took on Kitchee and Phnom Penh Crown, yielding just a point, before a home win over Kuching City in Matchday Three gave Gangwon a real chance of progressing. But it was another second string that was sent to Malaysia, and manager Jeong Kyung-ho didn't travel with the team, so how important can the competition be?

For a club like Gangwon, one which is looking to grow and establish itself as one that competes on the continent on a regular basis, AFC Champions League Two would be a great competition to take seriously. The Bears close out their Group H campaign with Kitchee at home and Phnom Penh Crown away. Kitchee sit second and can be leapfrogged should Gangwon beat them in the penultimate matchday. But are they really that bothered?

Chances of Progression

Looking at the final League Stage standings from the last two seasons, eight or nine points have been enough to seal progression to the knockouts. In the first edition of this new format, introduced for the 2024-2025 season, Shanghai Port clinched the final spot in the knockouts with eight points. Gwangju famously made it through, but Pohang and Ulsan both missed out that year.

The following year, Gangwon clinched the final spot on nine points but needed goals scored - the second tiebreaker in ACL, unlike in K League - to get through at the expense of Ulsan.

This season, with the ACL Elite League Stage at its halfway point, only Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors look likely to qualify for the knockouts, sitting on seven points. Footy Rankings has given them a 66% chance of finishing at least eight, but Pohang only 1%, while Daejeon have a 21% chance - slashed from 32% before matchday four. 

#ACLElite East projections, after Matchday 4 Kobe and Kashima favorites to finish in top 4 Kashiwa, Gamba, JDT, Kyoto followed behind them with solid qualifying chance Shanghai Port, Jeonbuk, and Beijing are battling for the remaining 2 spots https://t.co/JufUBGXQ2G

— Footy Rankings (@FootyRankings) November 5, 2026