KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) new defensive signing Alvaro Gonzalez scored two goals to give them a 2-1 victory over Australian side Central Coast Mariners and put the Southern Tigers one step closer to the knockout stage of the 2024/25 Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE).
In the match held at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford, Australia, Hector Bidoglio’s men displayed an energetic performance from the start, creating more chances than the home team.
Relentless attacking pressure forced Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Dylan Peraic Cullen into a crucial mistake at the end of the first half when he fouled Malaysia’s prolific forward, Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, who was through on goal.
Following a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review, the referee decided to send Dylan Peraic off for denying Arif Aiman a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving the hosts a man down.
JDT were awarded a free kick from the incident, and Bergson Da Silva found the net after reacting quickly to Heberty’s shot, which had struck the post. However, the goal was disallowed after a VAR review confirmed Bergson was offside.
Early in the second half, Bergson came close again in the 50th minute, but his shot was denied by Central Coast Mariners' substitute goalkeeper Adam Pavlesic.
JDT’s breakthrough finally came in the 64th minute, when Alvaro calmly slotted home Arif Aiman’s cross, marking his first goal for the club.
However, their lead was short-lived as Central Coast Mariners substitute Alou Kuol equalised just six minutes later.
JDT’s winner came in the 79th minute, with Alvaro once again scoring, this time connecting a powerful header from Heberty’s cross to give the Malaysian champions a 2-1 win.
The win earned JDT three points to climb to fifth place in the East Zone group, which has 12 teams.
The Southern Tigers will next host South Korean club Pohang Steelers at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim on Feb 19 for their final group match.
Only the top eight teams after eight league-stage matches will progress to the Round of 16.
-- BERNAMA
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