Post by : Bianca Haleem
Vissel Kobe of Japan has secured a spot in the AFC Champions League semi-finals following an exhilarating encounter that saw them edge Al Sadd of Qatar in a penalty shootout, 5-4, after the match ended 3-3 at Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
The quarter-final was an intense affair from the start, with Al Sadd taking an early lead when Rafa Mujica scored in the 6th minute. However, Vissel Kobe quickly leveled the score through Yuya Osako in the 24th minute.
In the second half, Al Sadd surged ahead again with Mujica netting his second goal in the 61st minute, followed shortly by Roberto Firmino’s goal that put them firmly in control.
Undeterred, Vissel Kobe mounted a stunning comeback. Yosuke Ideguchi scored to narrow the gap in the 74th minute, and Yoshinori Muto clinched a dramatic equalizer deep into stoppage time, pushing the match into extra time.
After 30 more minutes of play yielded no goals, the match proceeded to a penalty shootout where Vissel Kobe successfully converted their spot-kicks, winning 5-4 and making history as the first team to reach the semi-finals.
The quarter-finals will continue on Friday with Al Ahli from Saudi Arabia facing Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim, and Japan’s Machida Zelvia competing against Al Ittihad. The round wraps up on Saturday with Shabab Al Ahli taking on Thailand’s Buriram United.
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