AFC Champions League: Jantscher strike rescues point for Kitchee against Bangkok United
- Austrian striker Jakob Jantscher earns Hong Kong side their first point in Group E
- Kitchee finish game with 10 men after Poon Pui-hin sent-off for harsh handball
Ten-man Kitchee smuggled an AFC Champions League point out of Thailand on Wednesday after Jakob Jantscher’s 70th-minute strike earned the Hong Kong champions a 1-1 draw at Bangkok United.
Kim Dong-jin’s team appeared bound for their fourth straight defeat in the competition when they conceded after 27 minutes, and were decidedly second best in the opening half.
But Jantscher connected with a cross from Fernando, whose half-time introduction in place of Ruslan Mingazov was a masterstroke on the part of Kim, to net with Kitchee’s first attempt on target.
Poon Pui-hin was sent off minutes later, following a five-minute VAR check to confirm the forward had kicked out at Peerapat Notchaiya.
Kitchee threw bodies forward in search of the goal that would have lifted them three points behind second-placed Jeonbuk Hyundai in Group E, and a reflex save from Pattiwat Khammai denied Kim Shin-wook a stoppage-time winner.
Ultimately, Kitchee needed two wins from their final two games, combined with an unlikely sequence of results elsewhere, to reach the last 16.
It is a fair reflection of a campaign when Kitchee have been unable to compete with Asia’s best. They have unquestionably played with more clarity and purpose in their past two matches under Kim, however, and will be optimistic of adding to their solitary point.
Centre-back Andrew Russell said at the weekend that a diet of pedestrian domestic football was no preparation for Champions League combat.
And how prophetic Russell’s words felt when Kitchee fell behind to a goal that was emblematic of their continental campaign.
There appeared no danger whatsoever when Willen Mota, who scored the winner in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago, collected the ball 10 yards inside Kitchee’s half.
But the visitors’ midfield allowed the Brazilian to turn unchecked, and in the absence of any resistance, Mota took that as an invitation to stride forwards and shoot.
It was not the cleanest of strikes, but a deflection off Russell wrong-footed goalkeeper Paulo Cesar, who was too slow to get down to the shot and still conceded despite getting two hands to the ball.
Cesar embarked on a redemption mission across the remainder of the night, the highlight a sprawling 65th-minute penalty save from Mahmoud Eid, after a harsh handball decision against Poon.
Kim went to Thailand evidently unwilling to die wondering. He fielded two-and-out strikers in Jantscher and Mikael Severo, but the pair were starved of useful service until Fernando’s arrival on the left of midfield.
Cesar bailed out Russell and Helio Goncalves with a good stop from Mota, after the centre-half pair got in a tangle to gift the striker a clear opening.
But the 37-year-old reserved his best for when the referee and VAR both thought the ball ricocheting off Poon’s chest onto his arm was worthy of a penalty. Cesar took off to his right to touch Eid’s effort behind.
Kitchee’s equaliser on 70 minutes owed itself in equal measure to the vision and execution of Fernando, the accomplished technique of Jantscher, and some slovenly Bangkok defending.
Everton Goncalves, the Bangkok centre-half, allowed Fernando’s delivery from the left to travel over his head and reach Jantscher.
The Austrian steered his side-footed volley on target, but close to Khammai, who was nevertheless unable to prevent Jantscher from claiming his third Champions League goal in as many games.
Poon’s red appeared to further spur Kitchee, but a decisive goal proved beyond them.
