Guangzhou Evergrande currently leads Group G of the AFC Champions League with 9 points, closely followed by Suwon Samsung with 8. In third place sits Kawasaki Frontale with 7 points. In the final round, Kawasaki hosts Hong Kong Eastern, and barring any surprises, they are widely expected to grab all three points and climb to 10. If Evergrande draws with Suwon, they too will finish with 10 points. However, due to the away goals rule in head-to-head matches, they would rank behind Kawasaki and only qualify as the group’s second seed.
Suwon Samsung, on the other hand, must beat Evergrande to have a shot at advancing — unless Kawasaki fails to overcome Eastern. This situation is not new for Evergrande. In two previous seasons, they also secured qualification only in the final group stage match. Notably, they beat Thailand’s Buriram United away under must-win circumstances. In another similar case, they needed only a draw to progress but went on to defeat Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1 at home. “If we only draw, we may not top the group,” warned Evergrande head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after their last away game against Eastern. “We must give everything to take the full three points and advance as group winners!”
Coming off a win against Shanghai Shenhua last Friday, Evergrande remains at the top of the Chinese Super League standings. With a relatively easy league fixture ahead against Changchun Yatai, the team can fully concentrate on the midweek AFC clash. Key players are in good shape: Ricardo Goulart has recovered from his injury, and Paulinho is showing great form. This gives Scolari the freedom to field his strongest lineup — particularly with Zhang Linpeng regaining fitness and ready to reclaim the right-back role. In contrast, during last Friday’s match against Shenhua, right-back Wang Shangyuan struggled significantly, just as he did in the away game against Suwon, where his side was repeatedly targeted by the opposition.
There’s more good news: long-injured defender Kim Young-Gwon has rejoined training and is officially back in the squad. “My players are intelligent. They know that while a draw is technically enough to advance, we must push ourselves to aim for victory in order to get the best outcome,” Scolari emphasized during the pre-match press conference. “Even on the ride over, I spoke with Zheng Zhi — it’s that football intelligence that sets great teams apart.”
This match holds major importance for Scolari, even though his contract with Guangzhou Evergrande runs until the end of the season. The club’s owner, Xu Jiayin, has set an ambitious goal of winning four titles this year — and the AFC Champions League is seen as the crown jewel of that mission. The pressure isn’t limited to Evergrande’s side. Suwon manager Seo Jung-won is also in a do-or-die situation. After failing to secure qualification by drawing against Kawasaki in the previous round, Suwon’s unexpected home loss has left them in a precarious position. With no wins in the first six rounds of the K League, Seo is already feeling the heat.
Fans of BD Cricket Matchs may find similar drama in the world of football, where last-minute results and tactical brilliance often decide the fate of a season. Just as in a BD Cricket Matchs, momentum shifts and strategic decisions carry enormous weight. As both teams prepare for this critical AFC showdown, anticipation is mounting among supporters across Asia — and especially among those who love the tension and thrill, much like a close BD Cricket Matchs that goes down to the final over.