Jeonbuk pip Sydney FC to keep hopes alive
NA Sung-eun’s first half strike was the difference as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors got their first win of the 2020 AFC Champions League in a 1-0 victory over Sydney FC at Al Janoub Stadium on Wednesday, consigning the Australians to early elimination.
The two sides went into the match knowing defeat would make the losing team the first to exit the 2020 AFC Champions League (East), with both teams having collected just one point from their first three matches.
Sydney FC matched their opponents for possession throughout and had several chances, but were left to rue their profligacy as their winless run in the competition extended to 11 matches. Meanwhile, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors extended their unbeaten run against Australian teams
to 13 games.
Caution reigned for the opening 15 minutes with possession being exchanged frequently in the middle of the park and with little in way of clear cut-chances. That is until Na tried his luck with a shot from inside the box, seeing
his initial effort blocked into the path of Kim Bo-kyung who curled from an angle, but his shot sailed wide.
Sydney FC responded halfway through the opening period with back-to-back chances first a Calem Nieuwenhof low drive from 25 yards out that was collected by goalkeeper Song Beom-keun, then a Kosta Barbaroses first-time attempt to stab in Trent Buhagiar’s cross missed the target.
Gambian winger Modou Barrow was lively throughout the first half and his cross from the right landed at Gustavo’s feet just seven yards off the goal line, but the Brazilian striker was denied a second goal of the campaign by a heroic diving save from Sydney FC goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic.
The deadlock was finally broken just before the half-time whistle as Gustavo teed-up Na who fired from the right through the legs of Michael ullo into the bottom corner to put Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in front.
The result means Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors hit four points, moving within touching distance of leading pair Yokohama F. Marinos and Shanghai SIPG who face-off in the second Wednesday fixture of the group.