AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 Ends in CSL Exit
Shanghai Shenhua's continental hopes came crashing down on Wednesday as Japan's Kawasaki Frontale delivered a dominant 4-0 victory in the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16 second leg. The result reversed Shenhua's 1-0 first-leg advantage, handing Frontale a 4-1 aggregate win and eliminating all Chinese Super League (CSL) teams from the tournament.
Frontale's Offensive Masterclass
Frontale seized control early at Todoroki Stadium, with Asahi Sasaki opening the scoring in the 24th minute through a sublime left-footed curler. Erison doubled the lead in the 64th minute after connecting with Sasaki's cross, followed by Tatsuya Ito's strike three minutes later. Marcinho capped the rout in stoppage time, securing Frontale's place in the quarterfinals.
Post-Match Reflections
Shenhua coach Leonid Slutsky acknowledged the gap in competitiveness, stating: "We played 10 matches, and my biggest takeaway is that Chinese Super League teams lack the intensity compared to Japanese and Korean sides." The result marks the first time since 2022 that no CSL clubs remain in Asia's premier club competition.
