Johor Darul Ta”Zim picked up their first point in this season after tied Machida Zelvia, a club from Japan scoring 0-0 in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 League Stage(East Zone) at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri.
The Southern Tigers came into the clash determined to bounce back from their opening-day 2-1 defeat to Buriram United, while Zelvia were also chasing their first win of the campaign after a 1-1 draw with FC Seoul.
Zelvia were without Israeli midfielder Neta Lavi, while JDT pinned their attacking hopes on Bergson da Silva, the all-time top scorer of the Malaysia Super League.
The visitors were handed a golden opportunity in the 20th minute when South Korean referee Kim Jong-hyeok awarded a penalty after JDT’s Jonathan Silva was adjudged to have fouled Na Sang-ho inside the box.
However, Zelvia’s Yuki Soma squandered the chance, striking the post to the relief of the home crowd. Moments later, Japanese striker Henry Mochizuki tested JDT goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi Mohamed, who pulled off a fine save to deny the opener.
JDT nearly struck before the break as Ager Aketxe unleashed a powerful effort, but Zelvia shot-stopper Kosei Tani was equal to it. The first half ended 0-0.
Zelvia coach Go Kuroda introduced Australian forward Mitchell Duke in the second half to add attacking firepower, while JDT head coach Xisco Muñoz responded by replacing Bergson with Jairo da Silva.
Despite the tactical changes, both sides continued to struggle in front of goal. Zelvia’s Sang-ho forced another fine stop from Syihan, while defender Eddy Israfilov came closest for JDT in the 74th minute, only to see his effort denied by Tani.
The deadlock remained until the final whistle, with both sides settling for a share of the points.
The result leaves JDT in eighth place in the ACLE East standings with two points, while Zelvia sit ninth with a single point from two matches.
JDT’s goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi was named Player of the Match by Sofascore, earning an 8.0 rating – 0.6 points higher than teammate Israfilov – for his commanding display.
Next up, JDT face UM-Damansara United in the Piala FA Malaysia 2025/26 Round of 16 on 2 October, while Machida Zelvia turn their attention to a domestic clash against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on 4 October.
Credit Photo : HongZheng Lim/SNE-Photo
