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K League rivals set for knockout clash at AFC Champions League

All News 16:40 September 17, 2021

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- The two best clubs in the K League 1 this season will collide in the quarterfinals of Asia's top club football tournament next month.

Defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC will take on Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for a chance to reach the final four at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League on Oct. 17.

The draw for the final eight took place at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Another K League 1 club, Pohang Steelers, will face Nagoya Grampus of Japan in their quarterfinal match, also on Oct. 17.

Ulsan Hyundai FC players celebrate their 3-2 shootout victory over Kawasaki Frontale in the round of 16 match at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

Ulsan Hyundai FC players celebrate their 3-2 shootout victory over Kawasaki Frontale in the round of 16 match at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Sept. 14, 2021. (Yonhap)

These four teams are part of the East Region. Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, Jeonbuk's home located 240 kilometers south of Seoul, will host both of the East Region's quarterfinal matches on Oct. 17, and then the semifinal match on Oct. 20. This is designed to minimize traveling for clubs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ulsan-Jeonbuk showdown is just the kind of tantalizing matchup South Korean football fans crave, though supporters of those two clubs may feel they're meeting too early in the tournament.

Ulsan and Jeonbuk are currently ranked first and second in the K League 1 tables, with Ulsan holding a 55-51 edge in points. They've played each other three times this year, with two scoreless draws sandwiching a 4-2 victory for Ulsan in May.

Members of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors celebrate their penalty shootout victory over BG Pathum United in the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept. 15, 2021. (Yonhap)

Members of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors celebrate their penalty shootout victory over BG Pathum United in the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, 240 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept. 15, 2021. (Yonhap)

Jeonbuk are the four-time defending K League 1 champions and are going for an unprecedented fifth consecutive title, while Ulsan, which finished runners-up to Jeonbuk in 2019 and 2020, are seeking their first league title since 2005.

The script was very different for these clubs at last year's AFC Champions League. Ulsan went undefeated en route to their second Asian crown, while Jeonbuk, also two-time champs, couldn't even get past the group stage.

The quarterfinal bracket for the West Region will see Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates against Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia, and Persepolis FC of Iran versus Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

Teams from the two regions won't meet until the championship final on Nov. 23.

The K League can send up to four clubs to the AFC Champions League each year, and the league has three teams in the quarterfinals of this tournament for the first time since 2011.

Lee Seung-mo of Pohang Steelers (L) celebrates his goal against Cerezo Osaka during the clubs' round of 16 match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League at Nagai Football Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 15, 2021, in this photo provided by the AFC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Lee Seung-mo of Pohang Steelers (L) celebrates his goal against Cerezo Osaka during the clubs' round of 16 match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League at Nagai Football Stadium in Osaka, Japan, on Sept. 15, 2021, in this photo provided by the AFC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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