AFC Champions League: Kitchee suffer home defeat to Bangkok United, leaving Hong Kong champions on brink of exit
- Kitchee will need a near-miracle to repeat last season’s run to the last 16 after Bangkok United inflict their third straight group-stage defeat
- Hosts take charge with Jakob Jantscher opener but errors allow Thai club to recover and claim points
Kitchee’s hopes of emulating last season’s progress to the AFC Champions League’s round of 16 took a hefty blow at Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday with a crushing 2-1 defeat by Bangkok United.
The Hong Kong champions were vastly improved from their tame surrender at the same venue against Lion City Sailors three weeks ago. And when Jakob Jantscher capitalised on a dreadful misjudgment from goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai to give Kitchee a seventh-minute lead, the more assertive and combative hosts looked in complete charge.
Kim Dong-jin’s team twice shot themselves in the foot, however, to relinquish control and suffer a third straight pool-stage defeat.
Rungrath Poomchantuek was left unmarked on the six-yard line to equalise in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Willen Mota completed the turnaround from the spot seven minutes after the break, following a handball from Fernando.
Kitchee remain pointless and rooted to the bottom of Group F, while Bangkok have nine points and could clinch a last-16 spot when they host the return fixture in a fortnight.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have six points after swatting aside Lion City 3-0 on Wednesday, and surely only the most one-eyed Kitchee loyalist would fancy their team to overhaul the South Koreans for second place.
Yet it could all have been so different had Kitchee sustained the intensity that thundered through their first-half football.
Bangkok employed a high defensive line, relying on Khammai to perform a sweeper-keeper role. But the goalkeeper made a mess of his attempt to intercept Fernando’s pass over the top, haring out of his area but misreading the bounce and leaving Jantscher and two defenders in a race to the ball.
The Austrian was quickest to finish into an unguarded net, prompting a celebratory gambol by Kim around his technical area.
The expressive South Korean head coach was a ball of frustration by the end of the night, though.
Chances to increase the lead came and went for Mikael Severo and Ruslan Mingazov. Khammai redeemed himself with very good stops from Mingazov, Charlie Scott and substitute Igor Sartori, as Kitchee tried to rescue something from the night.
That they had to chase an equaliser was of their own making. Kitchee switched off to allow Rungrath a straightforward finish after Mahmoud Dhadha squeezed over a low cross from the left.
Agitated home supporters shouted for a reprieve as the VAR checked whether Dhadha had strayed offside. Their prayers went unanswered, and they were dealt a further blow when an interminable review confirmed referee Majed Al-Shamrani’s penalty decision after Fernando handled.
Jantscher on coping with dad’s suicide, ‘King of Graz’ status, Kitchee ambition
Willen fired low to his left, under the dive of Paulo Cesar, sparking delirium among the small band of Bangkok supporters.
Everton Goncalves headed against the bar as Bangkok threatened to stretch clear. Kitchee could not conjure a leveller despite playing the closing minutes against 10 men after Bassel Jradi was sent off for an off-the-ball incident, following another VAR review.
