Johor DT are through to the second round of the AFC Champions League qualifiers after securing a close 2-1 win over India’s Bengaluru FC.
Bojan Hodak opted for an interesting tactical move as he fielded a starting eleven that did not contain a single forward. Amirulhadi though, was employed to the lead the line, with Safiq, Hariss and Shakir sitting in at the heart of their midfield.
Both teams started well, thought with the aid of their boisterous fans, Johor DT started to seize control of the match tempo. The Southern Tigers produced several attacks in the first 30 minutes though Bengaluru came closest courtesy of John Johnson’s header, which rattled against the bar.
Safiq Rahim fluffed his shot despite being in a terrific position on the 32nd minute, before Walker unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the box, only to be blocked effectively by Marcos Antonio.
At half time, it was 0-0. After the break though, Johor DT continued to apply the pressure and eventually got ahead on the 47th minute. Nazrin Nawi floated a fantastic cross into the box and Hariss Harun headed home to break the deadlock and send the crowd into raptures.
Both sides continued to push forward and to their home side’s credit, they kept looking for more goals as well, as indicated by the substitution of Mahali for Chanturu. But solid defending, awful finishing and bad luck prevented either side from actually finding the break.
And just when the home fans were getting ready to celebrate their victory, Bengaluru got their equalizer through Eugeneson, whose corner kick went straight into the goal to officially drag the game into extra time!
Bojan Hodak’s men kept their cool and continued pushing on the offensive. On the 108th minute, they got their lead back. S. Chanturu, who was making his debut for JDT in this game, scored the crucial goal, because despite Bengaluru’s best efforts, the score line remains for JDT to clinch victory and book their spot in the next round.
Next on the cards for the Southern Tigers will be Bangkok Glass FC, and it will be played in the Thai capital next Tuesday.
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