In a thrilling encounter at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia, Chinese Super League team Zhejiang secured a 4-3 victory over Indonesia’s Persib in the AFC Champions League Two on Thursday. The win marked the end of Zhejiang’s winless streak on the road in the tournament.
Despite their spirited performance, Zhejiang fell short of advancing to the knockout stage. Lion City Sailors defeated Port 5-2 in the other Group F match, allowing both teams to progress with 10 points each. Zhejiang finished third in the group with nine points.
The match kicked off with Zhejiang taking an early lead. In the 15th minute, Franko Andrijasevic opened the scoring, assisted by Sun Zhengao. Just seven minutes later, a defensive miscommunication by Persib allowed Jean Kouassi to break through, sidestep the goalkeeper, and double the lead for Zhejiang.
Persib responded in the 31st minute when Beckham Putra capitalized on a rebound after Marc Klok’s shot was parried by Zhejiang’s goalkeeper Zhao Bo. However, Zhejiang restored their two-goal advantage before halftime. In the 39th minute, Gu Bin’s free kick found Andrijasevic, who tapped in his second goal of the night.
The second half saw Zhejiang extend their lead to 4-1 in the 58th minute. Andrijasevic set up Kouassi for his second goal, putting Zhejiang firmly in control. Persib, however, refused to back down. David da Silva headed in a goal in the 70th minute, and Tyronne added another from the penalty spot during stoppage time.
Despite a late surge from Persib, Zhejiang held on to secure the victory. While the win ended their away drought, it wasn’t enough to carry them into the next round.
Reference(s):
Eliminated Zhejiang end awkward record at AFC Champions League Two
cgtn.com
