As the fifth round of the AFC Elite League group stage came to a close, the results were announced on November 27th and the ranking landscape shifted.
In this round of matches, the three Chinese Super League teams played differently. Taishan won 1-0 at home against Johor, with Zeca's goal sealing the win and Wang Dalei's heroics not to be overlooked; Port turned back Ulsan Hyundai 3-1 with a hat-trick from Vargas, but their opponents were still resilient; and Shenhua were unlucky to lose 0-1 against Gwangju FC.
After five rounds of play, Kobe Victory lead the table with 13 points with four wins and a draw, followed by Gwangju FC with 12 points. Yokohama Marinos are third with 10 points, while Kawasaki Frontale are fourth with nine points. Five teams are tied on seven points, including CSKA 3, Johor and Buriram United. Taishan are seventh with seven points, while Pohang Steelers are 10th with six points. The competition for promotion spots in the group stage is extremely tight. Ulsan Hyundai are at the bottom of the table with five matches and Central Coast Mariners are at the bottom of the table with one point, making the prospects of advancement for both teams worrying.
In the upcoming next round of matches, Taishan will face Kawasaki Striker on the road, and the match will be staged on December 4th. It's worth noting that Cressan will not be involved in this showdown due to the three yellow cards he accumulated in last night's match.
