Selangor FC, a club from Malaysia clinched 3 points and take top position of the group after beating Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scoring 2-0 in the AFC Champions League Two 2024/25 Group Stage, Group H at MBPJ Stadium, Petaling Jaya.
Jeonbuk started the match with aggressive intent, controlling possession early on, but it was Selangor who crafted the better scoring opportunities. A series of corner kicks created danger for the Jeonbuk defense, with Harith Haiqal seeing his header blocked before Ali Olwan broke through the defense, forcing a sharp save from goalkeeper Kim Jeong-hoon at the near post.
Selangor grew into the game and found the breakthrough in the 30th minute. A free-kick from Yohandry Orozco took a fortunate deflection off Umarbek Eshmurodov, falling into the path of Harith, who pounced on the opportunity to slam the ball home from close range.
Just two minutes later, Selangor doubled their lead. Nooa Laine won possession at the halfway line and embarked on a driving run before delivering a perfectly weighted pass to Ali Olwan, who calmly slotted the ball past Kim Jeong-hoon to make it 2-0.
Jeonbuk managed to pull one back five minutes before halftime, with Kwon Chang-hoon barely getting a touch on a header from Jung Woo-jae’s cross to reduce the deficit.
In the second half, Selangor nearly extended their lead when Nikola Jambor unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, only for the ball to rattle the crossbar. Jeonbuk increased their efforts, but Selangor goalkeeper Azim made a crucial save from Park Chae-jun’s header in the 66th minute, while at the other end, Kim Jeong-hoon tipped a Ronnie Fernandez header over the bar.
Jeonbuk’s best chance to equalize came when Park Jun-beom connected with a cross from Seo Jeong-hyeok, but his mistimed attempt went wide, much to the relief of the Selangor defense.
Selangor’s resilience was tested late on when Yohandry Orozco received a second yellow card in stoppage time, leaving the home side with 10 men. However, the dismissal made little difference as Selangor held on for a vital win that leaves them in pole position in Group H.
The victory puts Selangor in a strong position to advance in the competition, as they continue to build momentum in the AFC Champions League Two.
Credit Photo : Simon Yap/SNE-Photo
