Buriram: Buriram United defeated Shanghai Shenhua 2-0 at home to advance to the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Elite. In the final match of the AFC Champions League Elite League Phase East Zone, Buriram United, wearing their blue kits, hosted Shanghai Shenhua from China at Buriram Stadium.
According to Thai News Agency, the match witnessed an early lead for Buriram when Peter Zulj's corner kick was headed in by Curtis Good in the 11th minute. Supanat Mueanta extended the lead to 2-0 with a left-footed half-volley in the 22nd minute. The challenge intensified for Shanghai Shenhua when Rafael Ratao received a red card in the 33rd minute, reducing the team to 10 men. Buriram's victory, concluding with 14 points from 8 matches, secured them the 4th position in the league table and an automatic qualification for the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Shanghai Shenhua finished 11th with 4 points and were eliminated.
In another encounter, FC Seoul from South Korea, in red jerseys, hosted Sanfrecce Hiroshima from Japan at Mokdong Stadium. Patrick Klimala opened the scoring for Seoul with a penalty in the 10th minute, followed by an own goal by Naoto Arai in the 27th minute. However, Hiroshima fought back with Ryo Germaine scoring in the 90+3 minute and Kosuke Kinoshita equalizing in the 90+6 minute, leading to a 2-2 draw. Sanfrecce Hiroshima finished 3rd with 15 points, and FC Seoul 7th with 10 points, with both teams advancing to the next round.
Other matches in the East Zone saw Machida Zelvia from Japan defeat Chengdu Rongcheng from China 3-2, securing their place as East Zone champions with 17 points. Johor Darul Ta'zim from Malaysia narrowly defeated Vissel Kobe from Japan 1-0, ensuring their qualification with 11 points, while Vissel Kobe also qualified in 2nd place with 16 points.
In the Western Conference, Al Gharafa from Qatar fell to Tractor Sazi from Iran 0-2, with Tractor Sazi securing third place with 17 points. Al Sadd from Qatar faced a heavy 1-4 defeat against Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia, resulting in Al Ittihad finishing fourth and Al Sadd eighth, with both teams advancing to the next round.