Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Jeonju: Striker Lee Dong-gook returned from a six-month injury lay-off to score twice as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors eased past Vietnamese champions Binh Duong 3-0 on Tuesday evening.
The Korea Republic striker, making his first start since September, struck once in each half after the K-League Classic champions had gone ahead through Brazilian Eninho on 16 minutes to ensure the 2006 AFC Champions League winners took all three points.
The result sees Jeonbuk move on to seven points from three games after a competitive clash against the Vietnamese visitors who remain rooted to the foot of the Group E table.
Coaches' reaction: Choi wants improvement despite Jeonbuk win over Binh Duong
As promised by coach Choi Kang-hee, Jeonbuk started the game in a very attacking fashion but for the first quarter of an hour Binh Duong looked comfortable at Jeonju World Cup Stadium. It took a goal of high quality from Eninho, the star of Jeonbuk's run to the final of the 2011 tournament, to break the deadlock.
The pass from Jung Hoon sliced the defence and Eninho controlled the ball on the edge of the Vietnamese area with his left foot to move away from the attention of David Vrankovic and then let fly with his right to give Nyugen Quoc Thanh Esele in the Binh Duong goal no chance.
The visitors tried to push forward and were happy to shoot from long range. Just two minutes later, Nguyen Ahn Duc's ambitious effort flew narrowly past Jeonbuk's left hand-post.
Eninho turned provider four minutes before the break, crossing from the left touchline for Lee Dong-gook, on the right corner of the six yard box, to send a looping header over the goalkeeper to extend Jeonbuk's lead.
The Brazilian almost scored a spectacular third for Jeonbuk on the stroke of half-time but his right-sided corner bounced back off Binh Duong's left hand post.
Jeonbuk struggled to maintain the same level of intensity after the restart and Binh Duong started to threaten.
The Vietnamese champions almost pulled a goal back just before the hour. Moses Oloya, unmarked at the edge of the six yard box, headed Robert van Dang's clever cross from the left just wide. Shortly after, Nguyen Trong Huang curled a shot over from a good position.
The hosts, though, came close to grabbing a third with 20 minutes remaining when Eduardo's low shot was palmed away by the goalkeeper and just seconds later, the Brazilian fired wide from close range after good work from Lee Dong-gook.
The veteran grabbed his second and his team's third with three minutes left on the clock, sweeping home from just inside the penalty area to seal the win and maintain Jeonbuk's encouraging start to the tournament.
Photo: WSG