Pohang Steelers and Gamba Osaka fought to a 1–1 draw in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Two Round of 16 First Leg clash at Pohang Steel Yard, Pohang.
The match exploded into life within 120 seconds. Pohang’s Juninho tormented the flank before delivering a gift to Lee Ho-jae, whose point-blank effort was expertly smothered by Gamba’s veteran custodian Masaaki Higashiguchi.
Gamba responded by tightening the screws in midfield. Shuto Abe and Tokuma Suzuki orchestrated a possession-heavy game plan, but they found the Pohang backline—anchored by the agile Hwang In-jae—nearly impossible to breach in the opening 45 minutes. Hwang was the hero of the first half, pulling off a double-save sequence to deny both Deniz Hummet and Issam Jebali.
The deadlock was finally broken just two minutes after the restart. Issam Jebali turned provider, slipping a surgical through-ball to Ryoya Yamashita. The winger showcased his blistering pace to outstrip the defense before curling a sublime effort into the top corner to give the visitors a 1–0 lead.
Pohang, desperate to avoid a home defeat, threw caution to the wind. After a denied penalty appeal and several missed headers, the breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute. Following a botched clearance by the Gamba defense, Jorge Luiz seized the moment, unleashing a spectacular bending strike that left Higashiguchi rooted to the spot.
The second leg moves to the Suita City Football Stadium, Osaka on February 19.
Credit Photo : AFC
