Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Jeonju: AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were surprisingly beaten 3-2 by second-tier side Bucheon 1995 in the last eight of the Korean FA Cup on Wednesday.
The defeat of the K League Classic leaders came on a night which also saw fellow AFC Champions League hopefuls FC Seoul advance to the semi-finals after overcoming Jeonnam Dragons on penalties.
Jeonbuk had begun the game brightly at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium, and Kim Shin-wook duly gave them the lead on 25 minutes.
However, Lee Hyo-gyun hit back for Bucheon in the 37th minute to level matters going into half-time
The balance of the game then tipped towards Bucheon when Jeonbuk’s Jang Yun-ho was dismissed in the 53rd minute for picking up a second yellow card, a numerical advantage that the visitors were quick to capitalise on, Lee Mak-min putting them ahead 13 minutes later.
Waguininho added Bucheon’s third on the stroke of full-time, and although Leonardo converted from the penalty spot deep in the 95th minute, it proved a case of too little, too late for Jeonbuk as they crashed out of the competition.
There was better news, however, for FC Seoul as they booked their semi-final ticket thanks to a 4-3 penalty shootout success against Jeonnam Dragons after the game had ended 0-0 in regulation time.
Jeonbuk and FC Seoul both face Chinese opposition in the quarter-finals of the 2016 AFC Champions League, with 2006 winners Jeonbuk facing Shanghai SIPG and FC Seoul taking on Shandong Luneng, who they defeated 4-1 in Jinan in the Group Stage.
Photo: Lagardère Sports