An impressive header from Anderson Lopes in the first half secured Yokohama F Marinos a 1-0 lead over Shanghai Port in their Asian Champions League Elite first leg on Tuesday. Meanwhile, in Thailand, Buriram United played out a goalless draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim.
Steve Holland’s Marinos will carry a narrow advantage into the second leg in Yokohama next Tuesday, despite having the upper hand for significant stretches of the match.
Shanghai Port’s goalkeeper, Yan Junling, made crucial saves to keep his side in the contest, notably stopping Lopes’ effort as early as the 10th minute.
However, the Brazilian, currently sharing the title of the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals, made his mark in the 30th minute, heading in from close range after Daiya Tono delivered a perfectly timed pass to his unmarked teammate.
In the final five minutes, Yan produced two outstanding saves, first denying Yan Matheus and then thwarting Lopes once again with a superb low save to his left.
In Buriram, home striker Suphanat Mueanta came closest to finding the net in the 65th minute, his header being tipped over the bar by JDT goalkeeper Andoni Zubiaurre.
The Malaysian league champions, JDT, will welcome Buriram for the return leg in Johor next Tuesday, while Shanghai Port heads to Yokohama’s International Stadium.
The teams are vying for a spot in the quarter-final draw, scheduled for March 17 in Kuala Lumpur, with four teams each from both west and east Asia set to participate.
The remaining stages of the competition will be hosted centrally in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the quarter-finals taking place on April 25 and 26, the semi-finals on April 29 and 30, and the final set for May 3.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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