SEOUL-- Pursuing their first Asian club football title in six years, South Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will take on a Japanese club featuring a pair of former FC Barcelona stars.
Jeonbuk and Vissel Kobe will square off in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League at 4 p.m. Monday at Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, Japan.
The Japanese city is also hosting the other quarterfinal match for the East Region, between Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan and BG Pathum United of Thailand.
The knockout stage for the West Region, involving teams from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, among others, will kick off in February next year, with the championship final also scheduled for later that month.
Jeonbuk eliminated the only other K League 1 club in the knockouts, Daegu FC, in the round of 16 last Thursday, with a 2-1 victory in extra time.
Vissel Kobe defeated their fellow J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos 3-2 in the round of 16.
Both Jeonbuk and Vissel Kobe have been underachieving in their respective leagues this season.
Jeonbuk have won the past five K League 1 titles, but they are ranked second this season, six points behind Ulsan Hyundai FC while having played one more match.
A victory on Monday will keep Jeonbuk's "treble" hopes alive, as they will remain on course to capture three major trophies this season. Tough as it will be, Jeonbuk still have a shot at winning the K League 1 title. They have also made it to the semifinals of the Korean FA Cup.
Kobe, after finishing in third place last year, now find themselves in 16th place among 18 teams, in danger of relegation to the J2 League.
Kobe are captained by Andres Iniesta, a former FC Barcelona stalwart and a key member of the 2010 FIFA World Cup-winning Spain team. The 38-year-old has been with the Japanese club since 2018.
Iniesta has an ex-Barca teammate in forward Bojan Krkic, who joined Kobe last year.
Another familiar name on Kobe for K League fans is former Incheon United forward Stefan Mugosa, who had been leading the South Korean league in goals this year before moving to Japan in late June. Mugosa is still looking for his first goal as a member of Kobe.
At the prematch press conference Sunday, Jeonbuk head coach Kim Sang-sik said he was wary of in-form Japanese players on Kobe: defender Nanasei Iino and forward Yuya Osako.
"Our players have a very determined look on their faces, and they are all driven to reach the semifinals," Kim said. "Vissel Kobe have some attacking players who've spent time in Europe, and we'll have to figure out ways to stop them."
Jeonbuk midfielder Kim Jin-gyu, who scored the dramatic go-ahead goal late in extra time against Daegu, called Kobe "a well-organized team" and he was most looking forward to facing Iniesta.
"I grew up idolizing Iniesta, and I've been watching a lot of video on him leading up to this match," Kim said. "With Mugosa, he is a dangerous player because he is capable of scoring in any situation. We will have to be prepared."
Source: Yonhap News Agency