Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors registered the second win of their AFC Champions League Elite campaign after defeating Johor Darul Ta’zim 2-0 on Tuesday.
The result lifted the Korea Republic side level with JDT on seven points, while handing the Malaysian champions their first defeat.
The visitors’ early pressing almost yielded the opener in the fourth minute when Kevin Medina threaded a weighted through ball to release Marcos Guilherme, but the Brazilian struck his effort straight at Jeonbuk goalkeeper Song Bum-keun.
Jeonbuk went close 10 minutes later when Nacho Mendes gained possession of a loose ball off a corner before forcing Song into a fine save.
The K League side grew into the game and went closer in the 20th minute when Kim Jin-gyu delivered a cross from a set-piece into the path of Bruno Mota, whose close-range effort just drifted wide of the right post.
Mota made amends two minutes later, rising highest to meet Kim’s cross from the left with a glancing close-range header that left JDT goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi flat-footed.
The balance then firmly shifted in Jeonbuk’s favour with JDT conceding a penalty in the third minute of first half stoppage time after Syihan brought down Lee Dong-jun inside the box, with Italo sending the Malaysian goalkeeper the wrong way.
JDT came close to pulling one back three minutes into the second half when Guilherme led a fast break and set up Oscar Arribas, who struck the crossbar from distance, while Mota saw his glancing header off a set-piece situation sail over the bar in the 57th minute.
Song kept Jeonbuk’s lead intact when he foiled Mendez’s effort from inside the area on the hour mark, before denying Arribas’ low drive and Arif Aiman’s follow-up nine minutes later.
Jeonbuk threatened at the other end with Lee Sueng-woo pulling the strings to set up Kim Jin-gyu, who fired over the bar, while Lee Yeong-jae pulled his effort just wide off the left post following a neat team move in the 72nd minute.
JDT kept pressing to find a way back into the tie but Jeonbuk defended stoutly to take home the points.
RESULTS
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (Kor) bt Johor Darul Ta’zim (Mas) 2-0
Kashiwa Reysol (Jpn bt Daejeon Hana Citizen FC (Kor) 2-0
Vissel Kobe (Jpn) bt Ratchaburi FC (Tha) 3-2
Shanghai Port (Chn) bt Newcastle Jets (Aus) 4-2
