Six matches in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 East league stage were played on 27 October. Vissel Kobe beat Daejeon Hana Citizen 1-0 to keep a perfect record after three games, Kyoto Sanga came from two goals down to thrash Newcastle Jets 5-2, and Beijing FC drew 2-2 with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. It was also a strong day for Southeast Asia: Công an Hà Nội won 3-2 at Shanghai Port, Johor Darul Ta'zim beat Port FC 3-0 and Ratchaburi held Kashiwa Reysol 0-0, according to the AFC website and Bongdaplus.
The six results of 27 October
| Match | Score | Key moment |
|---|---|---|
| Daejeon Hana Citizen v Vissel Kobe | 0-1 | Ren Komatsu header with 7 minutes left |
| Kyoto Sanga v Newcastle Jets | 5-2 | Kyoto recovered from 0-2 down |
| Beijing FC v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2-2 | Jeonbuk came back from a goal down |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim v Port FC | 3-0 | All three goals after half-time |
| Shanghai Port v Công an Hà Nội | 2-3 | The Vietnamese club's first win in the competition |
| Ratchaburi v Kashiwa Reysol | 0-0 | First point for the Thai side |
Japan and Korea: Kobe stay perfect, Kyoto run riot
According to the AFC website, Michael Skibbe's Vissel Kobe were often second-best to Hwang Sun-hong's Daejeon at Daejeon World Cup Stadium, but Ren Komatsu made the difference by glancing in Gotoku Sakae's in-swinging cross from the right. Kobe have 9 points from three matches, while Daejeon stay on 4 points.
In Kameoka, Newcastle Jets led through two first-half penalties from Patrick Wood before Ranko Popovic's Kyoto Sanga scored five times. Marco Tulio struck twice and Hisashi Appiah Tawiah, Alex Negueba and Rafael Elias also scored as Kyoto earned their second win, leaving the Australian side with a third straight defeat.
At the Workers Stadium in Beijing, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors fought back from a goal down to draw 2-2. The Korean side moved to 4 points, while Beijing FC stretched their unbeaten run to three matches and sit three points above Jeonbuk.
A good day for Southeast Asia
Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim made it two wins in a row after beating Pohang Steelers 2-0 in the previous round. Bongdaplus reported that goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard kept Port FC level at half-time, but JDT scored three times after the break at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium: Jonathan Silva volleyed in Arif Aiman's cross in the 53rd minute, a header by substitute Bergson deflected in off Peerawat Akkratum in the 61st, and Stoichkov sealed it in the 86th after a pass from Nahuel Leiva. Port FC have now lost three in a row.
Ratchaburi, beaten in both of their opening games, earned their first point with a disciplined home display. Goalkeeper Kampol Phatamakkakul twice saved with his feet, from Shota Fujio in the 18th minute and Kenshin Yuba in the 68th, Bongdaplus reported. Kashiwa Reysol, semi-finalists in 2013, moved to 4 points after losing to Jeonbuk and beating Port FC in their first two games, the AFC said.
Công an Hà Nội, beaten in their first two games, won 3-2 at Shanghai Port even though the hosts twice drew level. The Vietnamese club now have 3 points, one fewer than their opponents, according to the AFC website.
Points after three games
| Team | Points after 3 games |
|---|---|
| Vissel Kobe | 9 |
| Beijing FC | 7 |
| Daejeon Hana Citizen | 4 |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 4 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 4 |
| Shanghai Port | 4 |
| Công an Hà Nội | 3 |
| Ratchaburi | 1 |
| Port FC | 0 |
| Newcastle Jets | 0 |
The table lists only the teams whose points the AFC and Bongdaplus state; the sources do not give exact totals for Kyoto Sanga and Johor Darul Ta'zim.
What comes next
After three rounds, Vissel Kobe are the only side among those who played on 27 October with a perfect record, and Beijing FC are still unbeaten. At the other end, Port FC and Newcastle Jets have no points from three games and need results quickly. For the Southeast Asian clubs the paths now differ: Johor Darul Ta'zim have two straight wins to build on, while Công an Hà Nội and Ratchaburi have just opened their accounts and must keep collecting points to climb the table. The Vietnamese club's upcoming games are listed under Công an Hà Nội fixtures.