Kashima Visit Vietnamese Champions After Opening-Day Rout; Kyoto Seek First Asian Win at Home [Preview: ACL Elite League Stage MD2]

Matchday 2 of the AFC Champions League Elite League Stage will be played on 13 and 14 October.

Kashima travel to Vietnamese champions Cong An Ha Noi FC after making an emphatic start to their campaign. They put seven past Newcastle Jets FC on Matchday 1, with Aleksandar Cavric scoring a hat-trick in a 7-1 victory. Cavric will again be one to watch against a Cong An Ha Noi side that opened with a 4-1 defeat to Gamba Osaka. Kashima will also need to be wary of Brayan Perea, who scored their only goal in that match.

Gamba Osaka head to Australia to face Newcastle Jets FC after opening their campaign with a convincing 4-1 win over Cong An Ha Noi FC. Results have been harder to come by in the J1 League, so another positive performance on the continental stage could provide a timely boost. Takashi Usami scored twice on Matchday 1 and will again be central to their attack. Newcastle, meanwhile, will be eager to respond after their heavy defeat to Kashima. Patrick Wood scored their consolation goal in that match and will be one for Gamba to watch.

Kobe host Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC after edging Port FC 2-1 away from home in their opener. Yoshinori Muto scored the winner and will again be a key threat. Jeonbuk also began with three points, coming from behind to beat Kashiwa 2-1. Their winning goal came from a quick counter-attack, an area Kobe will need to guard against.

Kashiwa welcome Port FC as they look to bounce back from their opening defeat to Jeonbuk. Yusuke Segawa has been making a strong impact from the bench in the J1 League and could provide a similar spark in Asia. Port were beaten 2-1 by Kobe on Matchday 1, although goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard produced a string of fine saves. Kashiwa are likely to have plenty of possession, and finding a way through Port's defence will be crucial.

Kyoto host Ratchaburi FC in search of their first victory in Asian competition. Their continental debut ended in a 1-0 defeat to Daejeon Hana Citizen FC, with Kyoto managing just one shot. They will need to offer far more going forward on home soil. Ratchaburi lost 6-4 to Shanghai Port FC in a high-scoring opener and include several players with J.League experience, including Sai van Wermeskerken and Bruno Mendes. Kyoto will look to play on the front foot and make home advantage count as they chase a historic first Asian win.