Ulsan Hyundai FC vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima Match Recap - Oct 21, 2025

Kim’s Early Strike Lifts Ulsan Hyundai Past Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Throwing Group Wide Open in AFC Champions League

A solitary moment of composure from Min-hyeok Kim was enough to separate two of Asia’s most reliable sides on a damp Tuesday night in Ulsan, as Ulsan Hyundai FC edged Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 at the Munsu Football Stadium. Kim’s clinical 12th-minute goal kept the AFC Champions League group as delicately poised as ever, with both teams now sitting on five points, neither daring to blink with the halfway point of the group stage behind them.

The home crowd, buoyed by Ulsan’s recent revival in domestic play, barely had time to settle before Kim made his presence felt. Just beyond the ten-minute mark, Ulsan forced a turnover deep in Hiroshima’s half, exploiting a lapse of concentration from the visitors. The ball fell kindly to Kim on the edge of the area, and the midfielder wasted no time. His right-footed effort curled with precision beyond the reach of Hiroshima’s goalkeeper, nestling into the bottom corner as the stadium erupted.

For Ulsan, the early goal was not just a statement of intent but a moment to exhale. After a bruising run in September—a winless spell stretching across four matches in all competitions—manager Hong Myung-bo’s side was showing signs of a resurgence. Saturday’s convincing 2-0 win over Gwangju FC had already hinted at fresh momentum, and Tuesday’s start confirmed that form. The hosts pressed high and looked the more inventive for much of the first half, their confidence on the ball a stark contrast to the nervy draws that clouded earlier autumn evenings.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima, meanwhile, arrived in Korea on the back of a five-match unbeaten run, their defensive organization the envy of much of the region. Recent weeks had seen them grind out results—a pair of clean sheets in the J-League Cup and a composed 0-0 draw against FC Tokyo suggesting a side difficult to break down, if occasionally lacking in attacking dynamism. But Ulsan’s pressing forced Hiroshima to abandon their usual composure, and it took much of the first half for the visitors to settle.

Hiroshima’s best moment came late in the first half, when Hayato Araki, whose towering presence has become a hallmark for the Japanese side, rose highest at a corner. His header, though well-struck, was clawed away by Ulsan’s goalkeeper, preserving the hosts’ slender lead. Moments later, Tolgay Arslan broke free after a quick one-two, only for his shot to be deflected wide—an opportunity that encapsulated Hiroshima’s night: promising, but just off key.

The second half unfolded with increased urgency from Hiroshima. Manager Michael Skibbe adjusted his front line, pressing for an equalizer that seemed to hover just outside reach. Yet Ulsan’s back four, marshaled with calm authority, stood resolute. Defensive midfielder Chung-yong Lee, so often the heartbeat of Ulsan’s midfield, dropped deeper and snuffed out wave after wave of Japanese forays.

Tensions simmered as the clock slipped toward ninety, with both benches animated and the crowd sensing the high stakes. Yet, remarkably, the match finished with all 22 men still on the pitch, testament to the tactical discipline on display. Without the bite of a red card or the controversy of a late VAR call, this contest was decided the old-fashioned way: by a single flash of skill and a mountain of collective work.

The result leaves the group’s complexion tantalizingly unclear. Ulsan and Hiroshima are now level on five points apiece after three matches, separated only by goal difference and the fine margins that typify continental competition in Asia. Both sides remain undefeated, but the narrowness of their respective campaigns—each boasting just a single victory alongside a pair of draws—means qualification is anything but certain.

For Ulsan Hyundai, the win is especially sweet. Their third-place league standing belies a recent upturn in form, the ghosts of a 0-3 capitulation at Gimcheon Sangmu earlier this month exorcised by two crucial wins in the space of four days. The clean sheet against a Hiroshima side with a habit of nicking late goals—witness their back-to-back cup wins—will particularly please Hong Myung-bo ahead of the return trip to Hiroshima.

Hiroshima, for their part, leave Korea with their unbeaten streak in the Champions League intact but with little room for error. Their attack, so often balanced and patient, lacked incision on a night when a single mistake proved fatal. With two home matches still to play, their destiny remains in their hands, but the pressure to convert draws into victories will only intensify.

There was little in the way of head-to-head history to draw on coming into this tie—these clubs, while regional heavyweights, rarely cross paths beyond preseason flirtations and continental groupings. But Tuesday’s contest has set a tone: tense, technical, and determined by the slimmest of margins.

With the return leg in Hiroshima looming and two more group matches to follow, both clubs now walk the Champions League tightrope. For Ulsan, a chance to build on revival; for Hiroshima, an urgent need to rediscover their attacking edge. In a group where no team has yet taken control, every moment—just like Kim’s early strike—could prove decisive.