K League 1 Pohang Steelers earned their first win in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) League Stage after defeating Chinese giants Shanghai Haigang in their second match.

Pohang scored three second-half goals to beat Shanghai Haigang 3-0 in the second leg of their 2024-2025 ACLE League Stage home match at Pohang Steelyard on Monday.

Pohang, who lost the first leg 1-4 away to Shanghai Shenhua (China) on March 17, were back in the hunt for points with their first win at home.

Shanghai Haigang has one draw and one loss in two matches.

The 24-team 2024-2025 season of the ACLE will be divided into two 12-team groups, East and West Asia, with the top eight teams in each group advancing to the round of 16 tournament to determine the winner.

In the league stage, each team will play eight matches, four home and four away.

For their first home match in the ACLE, Pohang lined up with Georges and Ahn Jae-joon up front.

Lee Tae-seok and Hong Yoon-sang were deployed on the left and right flanks, while Kim Jong-woo and Oberdan partnered in the midfield.

The defense consisted of Shin Kwang-hoon, Jeon Min-kwang, Lee Kyu-baek, and Wandelsson, while Yoon Pyong-guk wore the goalkeeping gloves.

Chinese Super League leaders Shanghai Haigang started forward Gustavo, who previously played for K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai, and Brazilian international midfielder Oscar.

Pohang kept Shanghai scoreless in the first half behind a strong performance from goalkeeper Yoon Pyong-guk.

In the 27th minute, Pohang survived a scare in the penalty area when Yoon saved back-to-back shots from Gustavo and Willian Pope.

In the 39th minute, Yoon made a full-body save from Oscar’s shot following a pass from Gustavo, and in the 44th minute, Gustavo’s shot from the right side of the goal area after a loose ball in a crowded area was cleared off the line.

Pohang, who replaced Lee Tae-seok and Kim Jong-woo with Jeong Jae-hee and Han Chan-hee to start the second half, scored the game-winning goal seven minutes into the second half when Jeong Jae-hee broke free.

Jung’s cutback after a quick run down the right flank was met in the center of the penalty area by ‘Captain’ Wandelsson, who rattled the net with a precise left-footed shot.

Pohang, who continued to attack with renewed vigor, added another in the 20th minute.

Giorgi exchanged one-two passes with Wandelsson and beat his opponent to the ball, which Hong Yun-sang struck with his right foot from the center of the penalty area.

Then, in the 26th minute, Han Chan-hee capped the scoring with a cannonball right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area. Jeong Jae-hee was credited with an assist on this goal as well.

In the 29th minute of the second half, Shanghai Haigang’s Mateusz Juza roughly pushed Shin Kwang-hoon to the ground in a contested challenge, sparking a heated exchange of words between players from both teams before Juza was sent off after an on-field review by the referee, allowing Pohang to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Gwangju FC, who defeated Yokohama Marinos 7-3 in their ACLE debut on March 17, made it two wins in a row with a 1-0 away win against Kawasaki Frontale in the second leg.

Asani opened the scoring in the 21st minute when he converted a penalty kick earned by Kim Jin-ho.

Asani, who scored three goals in Yokohama, scored his fourth goal in two consecutive ACLE matches.

Kawasaki, who held Ulsan HD 1-0 in the first leg, improved to 1-1. 에볼루션 바카라사이트