Seoul hosted Persib Bandung at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on 16 September 2026, but the visitors claimed all three points with a 1-0 victory in their AFC Cup Group Stage opener. The result leaves Seoul rooted to fourth place with zero points from one match, while Bandung move top of the table with a perfect start. And here's the thing — the home side dominated possession but could not find the net despite creating more opportunities.
Julio Cesar broke the deadlock in the fifth minute, firing home what proved to be the decisive goal. The Seoul forward was substituted in the 56th minute, having done all the damage early on. Bandung's A. Alis picked up a yellow card in the 35th minute, and Jung Ha-won followed suit for Seoul two minutes after the interval. By then the match had settled into a rhythm that favoured the hosts' approach.
Seoul made three changes at the break — M. Kim, Shin Ji-seop and Ko Pil-gwan all came on — while Bandung responded with B. Sekulic, R. Oratmangoen and Cheon Seong-Hoon in the 68th minute. The visitors also brought on L. Menalo and M. Klok in the 77th minute, with Jeong Hyeon-Woo replacing a Seoul player in the 84th. K. Rudianto and J. Son both received yellow cards for Bandung in the 78th minute, and A. Alis was taken off in the 90th minute.
Seoul controlled 60 per cent of possession and launched 129 attacks compared to Bandung's 99, but the away side held firm. The hosts registered six shots on target and seven off target, creating one big chance, while Bandung managed just two shots on target and offered no big chances of their own. Seoul completed 474 passes from 552 attempts, while Bandung's accuracy was slightly higher at 310 from 382.
The defeat ends Seoul's recent run of mixed results — they had beaten Incheon United and Kwangju in their previous outings, but lost to Ulsan Hyundai on 8 September. Bandung's victory extends their momentum after a 1-2 loss to Persija Jakarta earlier this month. The away side now leads the group with three points, while Seoul face a mountain to climb from the bottom.
