Sydney FC, a club from Australia reached to semi-final after beatong Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, a club from Korea Republic scoring 3-2 in the AFC Champions League Two 2024/25 Quarter-Final second leg at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney.
Sydney pressed for an early advantage, with Patryk Klimala and Joe Lolley testing Jeonbuk’s keeper Kim Jeong-hoom. Klimala found the net in the 15th minute, but VAR ruled him offside.
Jeonbuk gradually took control, and their persistence paid off in the 35th minute when Kim Jin-gyu delivered a precise cutback for Jeon Jin-woo, who hammered a right-footed strike off the underside of the crossbar to put the visitors ahead.
The K-League giants doubled their lead before halftime as Nana Boateng’s shot was parried into the path of Jeon, who reacted quickest to tap home the rebound.
Jeonbuk nearly extended their lead seconds into the second half, but Sydney keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares made a crucial save with his feet.
However, Sydney refused to back down, and Costa emerged as the catalyst for a stunning fightback.
In the 55th minute, the Brazilian forced Kim Jeong-hoon into a diving save with a curling effort. Ten minutes later, he delivered a pinpoint free kick that Rhyan Grant redirected across goal, allowing Alex Grant to bundle the ball over the line.
With momentum shifting, Costa then slid a perfect pass to Jordan Courtney-Perkins, who set up Klimala for a thunderous equalizer.
And with eight minutes remaining, Sydney completed the comeback as Boateng brought down Adrian Segecic inside the box, gifting Sydney a penalty. Costa coolly converted, capping off a stunning individual performance and sealing Sydney’s passage to the semi-finals.
Credit Photo : AFC
