Sable

Milan can work the ball into both wide lanes, with Modrić and Rabiot connecting the first pass to runners near the box. Atalanta have a direct answer through Rowe and De Ketelaere into Krstović. Regains and second balls give both teams another way to create a close chance, so the contest extends beyond which side keeps possession.

Athletico's compact back three meets a Palmeiras side that builds attacks through both wide lanes. Gilberto can move the ball quickly into Viveros, while Piquerez, Andreas Pereira and Arias can keep the home defence busy with deliveries and second balls. The contest should turn on who controls the next possession after the first cross or clearance.

Tasmania can build early pressure through Armstrong's passing and the inside work of Magnay and Bannan. Adelaide has a different route, with Cotton moving the ball to its wings while Rakocevic and Cheatham compete on the glass. This game turns on whether those extra chances become clean shots at both ends and how the teams handle the later quarters.

Estudiantes' home pressure meets Flamengo's ability to play through or beyond the first press. Wide delivery to Carrillo gives the hosts a direct way into the box, while Flamengo can attack the space behind that push. Both routes appeared in their earlier meetings, although the players carrying them have changed. The first clean pass after a regain should shape the contest.

Pathum have been most dangerous when a central pass releases Gustavsson into the box, even without long spells of possession. Adelaide have reached the area through a direct ball behind the defence, a right-side cutback and a left-side combination. Those routes put Pathum's first contact and the next loose ball under pressure. The midfield that recovers that ball will shape the next attack.

This first leg should turn on the first pass out of midfield and who wins the next ball after a cross or corner. Fluminense have a familiar route down the right, while Palmeiras can create from quick recoveries and restarts. Their August meeting showed both patterns in the same game. Possession alone is unlikely to explain which attack gets the cleaner looks.

Iwata and Kawasaki's cup meeting looks like a contest between sustained pressure and quick access to the box. Kobe and Jeonbuk have different ways to turn the first pass into a chance, with the next defensive possession shaping the game. Nagasaki and KCC bring a similar contest to the court: interior creation, perimeter answers and the ability to get stops after scoring.

Washington's inside play and Brooklyn's ball pressure set up the central contest. Washington has found strong early offense without keeping secure possession throughout its games. Brooklyn has built middle-quarter runs through pressure and several scoring roles.

Talleres bring pressure in spells and look to turn wide moves into close chances. Independiente have escaped pressure through Montiel and Abaldo, but their recent away results have come with uneven control of the ball and the box. The first pass out of the press and the space left after each attack should shape this match. Set pieces and their second balls add another contest for both teams.

The first pass after Liverpool's press should shape this match. Liverpool have the pressure and second-ball work to gain territory, while City can turn a clean escape into a quick attack on the full-back channels. The decisive contest is which side turns those openings into clear chances in the middle of the box.

Braunschweig have started games well with scoring spread across their guards and wings. Ludwigsburg have often needed a second-half response after a slower opening. The contest turns on whether extra possessions near the basket become clean follow-up shots while the defense holds at the other end. Both teams have shown they can keep scoring after an opponent's run.

This match turns on what happens when either side loses a wide duel. Vancouver can build through Ryan Gauld and Brian White, while LAFC have direct runners who can turn open grass into close chances. Set pieces add another route through a match that could swing after a single turnover.

Both matches hinge on how pressure becomes clear chances in the box. Rizespor can move the ball forward through Sowe, while Fenerbahçe have ways to create through possession and quick breaks. Feyenoord can stretch AZ down the right, and AZ have the passing to work through midfield. The key is which of those routes keeps producing chances as each game develops.

South East Melbourne and Melbourne United bring very different ways of creating a shot. The Phoenix push the ball, pressure handlers and chase their misses, while United work through Cole Anthony's creation and Finn Oduro inside. Their first derby showed that extra possessions matter only when the Phoenix finish them. This rematch turns on whether those extra looks become points and whether United can keep its half-court control late.

Unión and Defensa bring different ways to reach the box, so the first goal should change where the space appears. Unión's home attacks have produced goals without consistently producing strong chances, while Defensa have created on the road despite uneven finishing. Iwate and Koshigaya meet with a different contrast: repeat chances off the glass against cleaner first shots and perimeter spacing. Rebounds and ball pressure should shape whether either team can turn a short run into separation.

Galatasaray should control territory and send wave after wave into Kasimpasa's defensive third. Kasimpasa have been more resistant than their limited attacking output suggests, keeping games close through their central block. The contest turns on whether Galatasaray's pressure creates clean finishes or leaves space for a rare Kasimpasa break.

Kashiwa's build-up and high wingbacks meet Kobe's pressure and direct restarts in a contest shaped by the first pass and the second ball. Kashiwa have created early chances, while defensive errors have also given opponents a way back. Shenzhen's compact recent home defending faces a Henan side that keeps reaching shooting and crossing positions. Henan's road defending gives Shenzhen a route forward when it wins the ball.

Botafogo's recent results hide more attacking work than the scorelines suggest. Tite has now had a long training stretch to shape the side, with Montoro working centrally and Ziyech set for a more advanced role. Vasco's run has substance, but the absence of Andrés Gómez changes the outlet that has driven much of their attack.

Vitória's home record commands respect, but their attack has not made a convincing case for a comfortable win in this match. Chapecoense have shown they can strike on the break when the other side controls the ball. The point for me is whether Vitória turn their wide play into clear chances rather than another stream of crosses. I expect a close contest.

The recent cup meeting at Sajik makes this a more live contest than the league starts suggest. KCC's response against Mobis showed a powerful middle stretch, built on exceptional finishing from King and Long. KoGas has shown it can stay in games after slow starts, and that resilience matters against a KCC side whose performances have swung sharply.