Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seogwipo: A last-gasp winner by Kota Mizunuma earned Japan’s Cerezo Osaka a 1-0 victory over Korea Republic’s Jeju United in their opening AFC Champions League Group G fixture at Jeju World Cup Stadium on Wednesday.
After a cagey opening to the game, Cerezo had their first real sight on goal shortly after the 20-minute mark when Hiroshi Kiyotake rose above Park Jin-po to connect with Mizunuma’s cross from the right, but saw his header go just wide of the target.
The same pair combined again soon after but this time Mizunuma’s lobbed effort following Kiyotake’s through ball looped over the outrushing goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun and bounced the wrong side of the post as Jeju held on.
Lee Chang-min tested Cerezo goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon from distance after a surging run in the 36th minute but his countryman got down well to gather, before Park fizzed just over shortly before the interval as the sides went in goalless.
Jeju came out stronger after the restart and Lee Chang-min's acrobatic effort from Park’s centre went just wide, before Cho Yong-hyung headed over as the hosts cranked up the pressure.
But back came Cerezo and Kiyotake came even closer midway through the half, only to be denied by a superb save by Lee Chang-guen from 12 yards after being teed up by Yoichiro Kakitani.
Then, just as the game appeared to be heading for a stalemate, Cerezo substitute Toshiyuki Takagi put the Jeju defence under pressure in the 18 yard box and when the ball broke free, Lee Chang-geun failed to collect, allowing Mizunuma to tap home and steal all three points at the last.
The win moved Cerezo to the top of the standings after China’s Guangzhou Evergrande and Thailand’s Buriram United ended 1-1 in the day’s other Group G clash. Cerezo will welcome two-time champions Guangzhou next week, while Jeju travel to northeastern Thailand to face Buriram.