East Matchday 4: Kobe stay perfect as Kashiwa, Jeonbuk and Shanghai win

Vissel Kobe preserved their perfect start, Kashiwa Reysol and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors both won 2-0 at home, and Shanghai Port won a six-goal game in Newcastle on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, as Matchday 4 of the AFC Champions League Elite East league phase produced four decisive results.

Vissel Kobe 3-2 Ratchaburi: Yamakawa completes a late turnaround

The most dramatic game came at Noevir Stadium in Kobe, where Vissel Kobe beat Ratchaburi FC 3-2 after trailing with eight minutes of normal time remaining.

Kento Hamasaki gave Kobe a 34th-minute lead, and the hosts led 1-0 at half-time. Ratchaburi turned the match around in the second half: Phongsakorn Sangkasopha equalised in the 64th minute, and Ekanit Panya put the Thai side ahead in the 82nd minute.

Kobe answered immediately. Erik Nascimento de Lima levelled at 2-2 in the 83rd minute, only a minute after falling behind, and substitute Tetsushi Yamakawa struck the winner in the 88th minute.

Kobe now have four wins from four matches, with 12 points, eight goals scored and three conceded. Ratchaburi led with eight minutes left and left without a point.

Kashiwa Reysol 2-0 Daejeon Hana Citizen: second-half goals settle it

At Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium, Kashiwa Reysol beat Daejeon Hana Citizen FC 2-0 with two second-half goals after a goalless first half.

Keita Endo opened the scoring in the 47th minute, assisted by Tojiro Kubo, and Shota Fujio doubled the lead in the 57th minute, assisted by Nobuteru Nakagawa. Ten minutes separated the goals, and Daejeon never found a way back after the second.

The AFC reported that the win moved Kashiwa onto seven points at the halfway point of the East league phase. For Daejeon, conceding twice early in the second half changed the match completely.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-0 Johor Darul Ta'zim: first-half job done

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors beat Johor Darul Ta'zim 2-0 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, with both goals in the first half. It was Jeonbuk's second win of the campaign, and it ended Johor's unbeaten start.

Bruno Mota opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Kim Jin-gyu crossed from the right, and Mota headed home after Jeonbuk pressed Johor into an error. The second goal arrived in first-half stoppage time: Lee Dong-jun was brought down in the penalty area, and Italo converted the penalty in the 45th minute plus three minutes of added time to make it 2-0 at the break.

Johor had started brightly and forced an early save from goalkeeper Song Bum-keun, but a missed chance in the 40th minute proved costly. The match also marked the return of Joao Figueiredo and Jon Irazabal for Johor after their suspensions ended on 1 November.

After four matches, Jeonbuk have seven points from two wins, one draw and one defeat. Johor had seven points from three matches before kick-off.

Shanghai Port 4-2 Newcastle Jets: early burst, late rally, late answer

The highest-scoring game came at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, where Shanghai Port beat Newcastle Jets 4-2. The visitors scored twice in three first-half minutes, added a third early in the second half, survived a Jets comeback, and sealed the win late.

Leonardo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a header, assisted by Prince Obeng Ampem. Three minutes later, in the 26th minute, Thomas Aquilina turned a cross from Oscar Melendo into his own net to make it 2-0. Ampem then scored in the 51st minute to make it 3-0.

Newcastle refused to fold. Patrick Wood scored in the 58th minute to make it 3-1, and Xavier Bertoncello reduced the deficit to 3-2 in the 80th minute, briefly raising the possibility of a late equaliser. Shanghai answered in the 86th minute, when Li Xinxiang scored to restore a two-goal lead and close the contest at 4-2.

The AAP report put the attendance at 1,614. For Newcastle, coached by Mark Milligan, the defeat was a fourth straight loss in the competition. For Shanghai, coached by Kevin Muscat, the AFC framed the win as putting their campaign back on track after a loss to Cong An Ha Noi FC.

What Matchday 4 means in the East

At the halfway point, Kobe stand apart on a perfect record, while Kashiwa and Jeonbuk have both reached seven points and given themselves a strong platform for the second half of the league phase. Shanghai Port's away win keeps their campaign moving after a setback, while Newcastle and the beaten visitors in Japan and Korea must now treat the remaining fixtures as recovery games.

None of these results alone decides qualification, but together they sharpen the East picture: Kobe with confidence, Kashiwa and Jeonbuk with momentum, Shanghai with an away win built on early ruthlessness, and the four beaten sides needing a response.