ACL Elite: JDT Missed Penalty and First Victory over Buriram
Johor Darul Ta'zim were left to rue a missed late penalty and a red card of their own as they were held to a fiery 1-1 draw by Buriram United in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 League Stage at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri.
The clash lived up to its billing as one of Asia's genuine heavyweight fixtures, producing a red card for each side and a spot-kick JDT will wish they'd had back, before the spoils were ultimately shared in a fierce opening night to the campaign. The result leaves Buriram United sixth in the standings, with JDT one place further back in seventh.
JDT struck first, taking the lead in the 26th minute through a thumping long-range effort from Oscar Arribas. The Spaniard's strike from just outside the box was hit with such power that Buriram goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, despite getting a hand to it, couldn't keep it out, the ball crashing home to send the home crowd into raptures.
The visitors responded before half-time, however, drawing level in the 43rd minute. Darlan Mendes slipped a clever ball into the box for Stefan Schimmer, who met it first-time without breaking stride, driving a decisive finish into the net to make it 1-1. The sides went into the break level, setting up a tense second-half battle.
The contest turned further in the second half, when Buriram captain Kenneth Dougall was shown a second yellow card for a foul in the 57th minute, promptly upgraded to a red and leaving the away side to play the remainder of the match a man light.
Despite their numerical advantage, JDT couldn't find the breakthrough — and came agonisingly close to missing their best chance entirely by a different route. In the 87th minute, the hosts were awarded a golden opportunity when the referee pointed to the spot, but Bergson stepped up and saw his effort go begging, sparing Buriram and keeping the score at 1-1.
JDT's frustrations compounded deep into stoppage time, as Eddy Israfilov was shown a red card in the 90+1st minute following a heavy challenge, the referee upgrading his initial decision after a VAR review. With both sides now down to 10 men, neither could find a winner in the closing moments.
The match ultimately finished honours even, with Buriram United coming away from Malaysia having successfully collected an important point on the road in a fiercely contested curtain-raiser to their AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 campaign — while JDT will feel they let a winning opportunity slip through their fingers in front of their own fans.
Credit Photo : AFC
