Shanghai Port and Vissel Kobe win ACLE opening matches

The 2026-2027 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) campaign commenced with high-scoring matches and notable victories for visiting clubs. In Thailand, Shanghai Port secured a 6-4 away win against Ratchaburi. Shanghai Port's Prince Ampem scored a hat-trick in 14 minutes during the first half, and Wu Lei added a fourth goal in the 51st minute. Despite a late comeback attempt by Ratchaburi featuring two goals from Njiva Rakotoharimalala and one from Ekanit Panya, Shanghai Port closed the match with a final goal from Leonardo.

In another fixture, Japan's Vissel Kobe earned a 2-1 victory over Thailand's Port FC. Ren Komatsu scored for Vissel Kobe in the 10th minute but later scored an own goal just before halftime. Yoshinori Muto secured the win for Kobe in the 61st minute. Additionally, Jeonbuk Motors completed a comeback to defeat Kashiwa Reysol 2-1, with Italo scoring the decisive goal in the 69th minute.