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Steelers beat Vissel Kobe 3-1 to climb up ACLE table

Published: 04 Dec. 2024, 13:32 Updated: 04 Dec. 2024, 17:00

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

The Pohang Steelers celebrate during an AFC Champions League Elite match against Vissel Kobe at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The Pohang Steelers beat Vissel Kobe 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) on Tuesday, handing the J1 League team their first loss of this year’s tournament.

The Steelers were in action at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang on the back of winning the 2024 Korea Cup title over the weekend.

A performance worthy of the domestic cup champions was visible on the pitch on Tuesday, with the Steelers making sharp through balls and pressuring Kobe.

Han Chan-hee gave the Steelers the lead in the 13th minute, scoring an indirect free kick. The Pohang side continued to showcase pace when breaking forward, leading Kim In-sung to double the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty box.

Daiju Sasaki pulled one back for Kobe with a penalty in the 34th minute, but the visitors struggled to find an equalizer in the second half despite creating multiple chances.

Jeong Jae-hee added one more in stoppage time, capitalizing on a through ball and slotting it in to seal the win.

The victory elevated the Steelers from 10th to fifth place on the 12-team league stage table, while it pushed Kobe down from the top to third.

It was Kobe’s first loss in this year’s tournament and the club’s first defeat at the hands of a K League 1 club in the league stage this season. The Japanese club beat both Ulsan HD and Gwangju FC 2-0 earlier in the league stage.

Gwangju have seen the best run by any K League 1 team in the ACLE, sitting in second place, while Ulsan have been on the worst run, sitting at the bottom with zero wins as of press time.

The Steelers have two more league stage games to go until the round of 16, where the top eight sides from the East and West Asia league stages compete. The Korea Cup champions will next face Kawasaki Frontale at home on Feb. 11 of next year.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]