The first leg of the round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Elite will be played on the 3rd and 4th.

Machida, who topped the league stage, will face Gangwon FC (South Korea) away.

In the league stage, they started with two consecutive draws, but they bounced back and achieved four consecutive wins starting in round five. He scored 15 points, the top of the group.

They defeated Chiba 2-1 in the league match last weekend, and their momentum is accelerating. They faced Gangwon in round 5 of the league stage and won a comfortable 3-1 victory. This time it will be the same away match, but we hope to get another win and head into the second match at home in good shape.

Kobe will play away against FC Seoul (South Korea). In the league stage, they won the Round of 16 early on, but lost to Johor Darul Takjim FC (Malaysia) in the final round and finished in second place.

Under the direction of coach Michael Skibe, who is firmly in charge, the team has improved with each match, and even defeated Fukuoka 2-1 in the league match last weekend.

They had a comfortable 2-0 victory over FC Seoul in Round 7 of the league stage in February. Will Yoshinori Muto, who scored a goal in that match, be able to achieve results again?

Hiroshima, who finished in third place, are heading to Johor’s home base. In the league stage, they showed solid defense, conceding 6 goals in 8 games. On the other hand, the rookie team has scored multiple goals in both games under new coach Bartosz Gaul, and their offense is gaining momentum.

In last weekend’s league match, they maintained an aggressive attitude, hitting 22 shots in a come-from-behind defeat against Kyoto.

They faced Johor in Round 7 of the league stage in February and came from behind to win 2-1. Marcos Guilherme, who was given the opening goal, needs to be watched, but expectations are high for Akito Suzuki, who was the driving force behind the victory with two goals.

■Check the impressions of each match
Ebara vs Machida
FC Seoul vs Kobe
Johor vs Hiroshima