It was a tough night for K League Clubs in the AFC Champions League Tuesday. Incheon United lost to Shandong Taishan 3-1. On the other hand, Ulsan Hyundai lost to Johor Darul Ta’zim 2-1. Thus, Korean teams failed to book an outright spot in the round of 16.
Ulsan, having secured the 2023 K League on October 29, hoped to show its dominance on the international stage by defeating Johor in a match played at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Malaysia. However, Johor proved a formidable opponent, creating numerous scoring opportunities and hitting the post in the first half.
According to iGaming news in Korea, Heberty put Johor ahead in the 44th minute. However, Ataru Esaka of Ulsan tied it up with a beautiful strike inside the box in the 69th minute.
Both teams had several opportunities to win the game before the 85th minute when the score was 1-1. According to football betting reports, the 86th-minute goal scored by substitute Akhyar Rashid proved the game-winner, giving Malaysia all three points. The loss on Tuesday was excruciating for Ulsan since it created an eight-point gap between them and Group I leaders Kawasaki Frontale.
K League Clubs Defeated in the Champions League
With 12 points, Kawasaki made it difficult for second-place Ulsan (6 points) to overtake first and go to the playoffs. The Champions League’s round of 16 features the 10 group winners and the three best runners-up from East Asia and West Asia. However, the round of 16 will present many football betting markets.
At the Jinan Olympic Sports Center in Jinan, China, Incheon United dropped three points to Shandong, a Chinese club coached by Korean Choi Kang-hee. Incheon’s midfielders set up several scoring opportunities, but their team ultimately fell short.
Again, their assaults in the opening minutes of the second half were fruitless, and Li Yuanyi scored for Shandong in the 54th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead. It looked like the Incheon team was sucked dry by the goal. Their defense deteriorated under the pressure of trying to draw even.
In the 65th minute, an own goal was scored after defender Kweon Han-jin mistimed a pass to goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon. After that, Cryzan scored again in the 76th minute after Incheon gave up a penalty. Kim Do-hyeok scored an injury-time goal to make the score 3-1, but it was too little, too late. After falling to Shangdong 2-0 on October 25, this was Incheon’s second straight Group G defeat.
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