Ratchaburi vs Vissel Kobe: ACL Elite Lifeline Needed

Ratchaburi vs Vissel Kobe kicks off at 5pm Thai time today, Tuesday, November 3, at Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium in the AFC Champions League Elite, with the Thai side needing a result to keep their campaign alive, the Bangkok Post reported. Port host Beijing FC later the same evening.

Ratchaburi face in-form Kobe

Ratchaburi have one point from their opening games. A goalless draw with Kashiwa Reysol followed two defeats, so they are still looking for a first win in the competition. Head coach Worrawoot Srimaka's side face one of the strongest teams in the East region away from home.

Kobe have won three in a row, most recently against South Korea's Daejeon Hana Citizen. Michael Skibbe's side have never lost to Thai opposition, with two wins and two draws.

Port need to stop the slide

Port have lost their last three games, including a 3-0 defeat to Johor Darul Ta'zim last week. They host Beijing FC in Pathum Thani at 7.15pm. Beijing arrive with seven points from three games, so Port face a tough test at home.

For Thai football, the two matches are a measure of how the league's top clubs compare with the best in East Asia, and points from either game would help Thailand's standing in the competition.

Thai League 1 weekend results

• Rayong 0-4 Lamphun Warriors: Christian Ilic scored early and Anderson da Silva added two before half-time. Da Silva was sent off just after the restart, and Mohammed Osman scored in stoppage time. Rayong have now gone five games without a win.
• Ayutthaya United 3-0 Sukhothai: a Thiti Thumporn own goal, Willen Mota and Caique Lemes secured the win, lifting Ayutthaya to third on 13 points. Sukhothai are 11th on nine.

FAT condemns racist abuse

The Football Association of Thailand has condemned racism after Kanchanaburi Power's John Baggio was racially abused during a 2-2 Thai League 2 draw at Pattaya United. FAT president Nualphan Lamsam ordered disciplinary proceedings. Under FAT rules, penalties include:

• players: one- to three-match bans and fines of 10,000 to 60,000 baht;
• supporters: fines of 10,000 to 30,000 baht, or up to 50,000 baht for amplified abuse;
• clubs: fines of up to 100,000 baht and a three-point deduction for repeat offences.

Phuket Times will update with the results. For more football, read how Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield, our Newcastle vs Everton report and the story of Bangkok's Suphachalasai Stadium.

Photo: Kobe City Misaki Park Stadium, by Kanko3131 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.