The Pohang Steelers of South Korea’s K League 1 secured a thrilling 4-2 victory over Shandong Taishan from the Chinese Super League (CSL) in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite match held in Pohang, South Korea, on Wednesday.
The home crowd erupted in the 30th minute when Jeong Jae-Hee curled a free kick into Shandong’s net, giving the Steelers a 1-0 lead. Shandong Taishan responded swiftly; just three minutes later, Chen Pu connected with a header pass from Gao Zhunyi off a corner kick, leveling the score at 1-1 before halftime.
The second half saw Pohang intensify their attack. In the 64th minute, Jorge Teixeira’s powerful shot slipped past goalkeeper Wang Dalei, putting the hosts ahead once more. Four minutes later, Teixeira turned provider, setting up Wanderson who calmly slotted the ball home to extend the lead to 3-1. The momentum continued as Oberdan, who had earlier assisted Teixeira, found the net in the 76th minute with help from Wanderson, making it 4-1.
Despite the deficit, Shandong Taishan fought valiantly. In stoppage time, Bi Jinhao scored a consolation goal with a well-placed header after outmaneuvering the goalkeeper. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent Shandong from experiencing their second loss in four games.
Elsewhere in the AFC Champions League Elite, Al Nassr dominated Al Ain with a resounding 5-1 victory at home, while Yokohama F. Marinos cruised past Buriram United with a 5-0 win.
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Pohang Steelers beat Shandong Taishan in AFC Champions League Elite
cgtn.com
