Johor Darul Ta’zim moved closer to a historic Asian Champions League quarter final appearance after securing a 3 1 victory over Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the first leg of their round of sixteen encounter.
The Malaysian champions took full advantage after Hiroshima were reduced to ten players early in the match. The turning point came in the 26th minute when defender Kim Ju sung received a second yellow card and was sent off, leaving the visiting side with a numerical disadvantage for most of the game.
Despite the early red card, the match remained competitive in the first half as both teams searched for an opening. However Johor Darul Ta’zim began to assert control after the break and eventually found the breakthrough early in the second half.
Spanish midfielder Ager Aketxe opened the scoring in the 52nd minute with a well placed strike after Hiroshima’s defense struggled to fully clear a corner delivered into the penalty area. The goal shifted the momentum firmly in favor of the home side as they increased the pressure in front of their supporters.
Johor doubled their lead eleven minutes later through Brazilian striker Bergson da Silva. After receiving a precise cutback inside the penalty area, Bergson produced a powerful finish that found the top corner and left the Hiroshima goalkeeper with little chance of stopping it.
With the Japanese side struggling to cope with the pace of the match in the humid Malaysian conditions, Johor added a third goal later in the half. Marcos Guilherme completed a fast counter attacking move, finishing confidently to give the hosts a commanding three goal advantage.
Although the Malaysian champions looked in full control for much of the second half, Hiroshima managed to grab a late goal that could prove important for the second leg. A defensive mistake allowed a long throw into the box to cause confusion in the Johor defense, resulting in an unfortunate own goal by midfielder Nene.
The goal reduced the deficit and gives Hiroshima a small lifeline ahead of the return leg in Japan next week. Despite the setback, Johor Darul Ta’zim remain in a strong position to progress to the quarter finals of Asia’s premier club competition.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Japan’s Vissel Kobe secured a narrow 1 0 victory over FC Seoul in their first leg encounter in South Korea. Defender Matheus Thuler scored the only goal of the match in the 23rd minute when he headed the ball over the line from close range following a set piece.
The result gives Vissel Kobe a slim advantage heading into the second leg as they aim to secure their place in the next stage of the competition.
The latter stages of the Asian Champions League Elite are currently scheduled to take place in Jeddah in April, where the quarter finals, semi finals and final are expected to be played in a centralized format.
However uncertainty remains surrounding the tournament schedule as ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have already forced several matches involving West Asian clubs to be postponed.
