Ulsan HD heads to Shanghai, China, aiming to secure a spot in the ACLE round of 16.
Ulsan will play Shanghai Port (China) on the 18th at 7 p.m. (Korea time) at Shanghai Pudong Stadium in the final, eighth match of the 2025/26 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (hereafter ACLE) league stage.
Having played seven ACLE matches so far, Ulsan sits ninth with 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses (8 points, goal difference -2). They share points and goal difference with eighth-place Gangwon FC but trail on goals scored. To enter the top eight, which secures a round-of-16 ticket, Ulsan must win this match against Shanghai Port and then watch other results.
Ulsan legend manager Kim Hyun-seok made his managerial debut in a home match against Melbourne City (Australia) on the 11th. Although they suffered an unfortunate 1-2 loss after conceding in stoppage time, the match revealed tactical aspects that were clearly different from last season.
That day Ulsan led the match while maintaining 60% possession and continuously created attacking opportunities with high-line forward pressing and coordinated switching play. Tactical data prove this. Ulsan sharply lowered their PPDA (pressure intensity indicator, lower is stronger) from 21.8 in last season's final match (Machida Zelvia) to 9.3 against Melbourne. That means the time to recover possession after losing the ball became much shorter, showing that the "dynamic football" emphasized by Kim Hyun-seok is rapidly taking hold in the team.
Defensive stability also improved. The expected goals conceded (xG) allowed to opponents was 0.45, successfully cutting conceded-goal risk to less than half compared with the Machida match (1.02). In addition, by composing six of the starting lineup (about 64%) newly, they fired a signal of rebuilding through gradual change.
Now the tiger army's focus turns to Shanghai. Opponent Shanghai Port remains winless in ACLE (3 draws, 4 losses) and sits at the bottom, but they are a strong team that won the 2025 Chinese Super League title. Although their round-of-16 hopes are dashed, they are expected to go all out at home to finish on a high note.
Ulsan holds a dominant record against Chinese teams on the Asian stage, with 12 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses in 19 matches overall. However, their head-to-head record with Shanghai Port is 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses, and they have yet to win away. Ulsan is determined to gift fans a confirmed spot in the round of 16 and the club's first away win at Shanghai Port during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The player to watch on this trip is striker Yago, who returned this winter. Yago was loaned to Zhejiang FC (China) last summer and directly experienced an away match at Shanghai Port, and he aims to prove his value in this game.
In the Melbourne match, Yago won 29 of 52 duels (56%), showing overwhelming post play. He also recorded high passing accuracy, with 86% lateral passes and 75% forward passes, fully performing as a key player who helps the team's attacking linkups beyond a simple target man.
Yago said, "Our team's performance is clearly improving. I am actively sharing the know-how I gained from facing Shanghai Port during my time at Zhejiang with my teammates. To protect the pride of the fans, this time we will definitely take the three points."
Manager Kim Hyun-seok also said, "We focused a lot on attempting quick pressure on turnovers in the Melbourne match and confirmed positive aspects. We have thoroughly analyzed Shanghai Port, and the players' will to win is stronger than ever. I am confident Ulsan can develop further and play good matches. We will show a better performance away."
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