Shaky Jeonbuk loses 2-3 to Bangkok ‘in K League and ACL’

Jeonbuk Hyundai is faltering. Not in the K League and not in the Champions League.

Jeonbuk lost 2-3 at home to Bangkok United on Thursday in the second leg of their 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation 스포츠토토 (AFC) Champions League Group F match at Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, Thailand. The result drops Jeonbuk to second place with a 1-1 record and three points.

Things are not looking good for Jeonbuk.

They have 13 wins, 7 draws, and 12 losses and are in seventh place in the K League 1 with 46 points. They have one game left in the regular round. The team is in danger of falling to the Final B for the first time since the top-bottom split was introduced in 2012.

The same is true in the Champions League. They were drawn in Group F with Bangkok United, Ryan City (Singapore), and Kee Chi (Hong Kong), which was considered the best possible grouping. That’s because they avoided all the tricky Japanese and Chinese teams. However, Bangkok United caught them off guard.

They took the lead in the 19th minute on an own goal, but then conceded three goals. They conceded the equalizer in the 26th minute, followed by an own goal by Ahn Hyun-beom 13 minutes into the second half. In the 37th minute, they conceded their third goal.

Jeonbuk scored a late consolation goal in the 43rd minute through Moon Sun-min, but ultimately fell to their knees.

Meanwhile, the Pohang Steelers extended their winning streak to two games. Pohang defeated Wuhan Sanjin (China) 3-1 in their second home match of Group J at the Steelyard. After conceding a goal in the first 10 minutes, Shin Kwang-hoon equalized in the 13th minute. Zeca then scored a brace in the ninth minute of the second half and in stoppage time to secure the three points.

Second straight win after a 4-2 first-leg victory over Hanoi FC (Vietnam). They lead Group J with six points.