Four South Korean teams will each compete against Japanese opponents at the top club competition on the continent this week.

FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Pohang Steelers and Suwon Samsung Bluewings will each play their third group-stage match at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League, representing the top-flight domestic circuit, the K League Classic.

FC Seoul will host Vegalta Sendai of the J-League in Group E action on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. On the same day, Pohang will visit Group G rival Sanfrecce Hiroshima at 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, Jeonbuk travels to Saitama, Japan, to face Urawa Red Diamonds at 7:30 p.m. in its Group F contest. Also at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Suwon will host Kashiwa Reysol in Group H play.

Of the four K League Classic teams in this year’s Champions League, only FC Seoul has claimed a victory. FC Seoul has one win and one draw, while the three others each have two draws apiece.

FC Seoul leads Group E with four points, two ahead of Sendai and Buriram United of Thailand. But the 2012 South Korean champion is off to a sluggish start in domestic play, with two losses and two draws after four games. FC Seoul is in 11th place among the 14 clubs.

Choi Yong-soo, FC Seoul’s head coach, said at a pregame press conference Monday his team should try to use the match on Tuesday as a turning point for the rest of the year.

“I think all of our players should sense that we’re in a crisis,” Choi said of the team’s early struggles. “Our players must recover their grit and pour out everything they have on the pitch, before we can become the FC Seoul of old again. At this point, everyone needs to regroup mentally and show what it truly means to make a sacrifice for the team tomorrow.”

Choi, who played for three different Japanese clubs in five seasons during his career, said facing a J-League club carries extra significance.

“Against a Japanese team, we’d like to show how competitive a South Korean club is,” he said. “I don’t think there’s much discrepancy in talent between the two leagues. I’d like to see this as an international contest, not just a game between two pro teams.” (Yonhap News)