Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hong Kong: Putut Waringin Jati scored twice as Arema Indonesia stunned Hong Kong champions Kitchee by securing a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup after recording a hard-fought 2-0 win at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground on Wednesday.
With the home side on the front foot for the majority of the contest, Putut opened the scoring with a close-range finish 13 minutes before the break before adding a second for the Group H runners-up at the start of the second half.
And despite their dominance Kitchee, who retained the Hong Kong title for a second consecutive season last weekend ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final, only registered one shot on target on a frustrating night for the home side who had won Group F with an unbeaten home record.
“I think both teams played good football. We were tactically excellent,” said Arema coach Dejan Antonic, a former Kitchee player and coach.
“I know Kitchee very well so I made the tactics to not give them too much space. It is not easy to play Kitchee who are a very good team.
“I am very happy as we have won and have made history as only one other team, Persipura, have made it to the last eight in Asia.
"The boys have worked hard for the last three months. Many players left before I arrived and we have worked hard for three months and you can see from the performances on the pitch.”
Buoyed by retaining the Hong Kong title at the weekend, the home side were in complete control of the match for the opening 25 minutes against a tough-tackling Arema side, although Kitchee failed to create a meaningful threat on goal.
But despite the majority of the match being played inside the visitors' half, it was Kitchee goalkeeper Wang Zhenpeng who was first called into action to push away a vicious long range strike from Anggo Yulian 17 minutes before break.
And just four minutes later Arema took the lead as Putut followed to tap home into an empty net after Wang could only acrobatically palm away Marko Krasic’s header.
Kitchee again made a strong start to the second 45 minutes, but just eight minutes after the restart the home side found themselves two goals behind as Putut’s glancing header from Legimin Raharjo’s inviting right wing cross gave Wang no chance.
Arema’s Latvian goalkeeper Deniss Romanovs was called into action for the first time with just over 15 minutes remaining as Kitchee substitute Chao Pengfei came close to reducing the deficit with virtually his first touch as the home side finally registered a shot on target.
Wang then kept the home side within touching distance four minutes later as the Kitchee goalkeeper was at full stretch to push away Roman Chmelo’s low strike from the edge of the area.
But in the closing stages it was Arema who posed the greater attacking threat, with Romanovs continuing to dominate his penalty area as Kitchee tried in vain to find a way back into the contest.
“We played well and I am happy with the team and the tactics,” said Kitchee coach Josep Gombau.
“We lost, but this is football. We kept the ball better but did not score. We had the chances but our finishing was not good.
“But I think we played good football. At 0-0 and 1-0 we had control, but our finishing was not good.
“Arema played well. In the first half Kitchee had more possession, but they scored. Arema are a good team, any team in the last 16, last eight or final four are difficult teams.”