Buriram United maintained their strong momentum under new head coach Mark Jackson, securing a confident 2-0 victory over Shanghai Port at Buriram Stadium to climb to fifth in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 League Stage (East Zone) standings.
Shanghai Port, needing a win to keep their hopes alive of breaking into the top eight, found themselves outclassed by the reigning Thai League 1 champions, who displayed control and composure throughout the match.
Shanghai head coach Kevin Muscat started Spanish midfielder Óscar Melendo in an attacking role, while Buriram relied on Guilherme Bissoli and Supachai Chaided to lead the line.
The hosts got off to the perfect start, breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute through Supachai, who calmly slotted past Shanghai goalkeeper Yan Junling after a clever attacking move.
Shaken by the early setback, Shanghai responded through efforts from Melendo and Li Shenglong, but Buriram’s solid defense — marshaled by captain Kenny Dougall — ensured the Thai champions went into halftime with a slender 1-0 advantage.
In the second half, Muscat made tactical changes, bringing on Xu Xin and Lu Wenjun to inject energy into the attack. However, the adjustments failed to trouble Buriram’s defense.
Instead, Buriram doubled their lead in the 65th minute, when former Newcastle United center-back Curtis Good capitalized on a loose ball inside the box to score from close range.
Shanghai’s late push to reduce the deficit proved fruitless as Buriram held firm, securing all three points and keeping a clean sheet.
With this victory, Buriram United move to fifth place in the ACLE East League table with six points, while Shanghai Port remain bottom with just one point from their matches.
Credit Photo : AFC
