August 23 – Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds will take on Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the AFC Champions League 2022 (East) semi-final on Thursday (August 25) Saitama.
The J1 League side steamrollered over Thailand’s BG Pathum United with an emphatic 4-0 win to qualify for the AFC Champions League semi-finals for the fifth time as they hunt for a fourth final appearance.
Urawa had the ball in the net twice before taking the lead. Yusuke Matsuo gave BG Pathum United a scare with only 49 seconds on the clock when he stroked his shot into the corner but a VAR check ruled the goal out.
Eventually goals from David Moberg Karlsson, Takuya Iwanami, Yosho Koizumi and Takahiro Akimoto sealed the tie for Urawa who were champions 2007 and again in 2017.
Jeonbuk will present a very different challenge for Urawa after they came through to win 3-1 in extra time against Japan’s Vissel Kobe.
With the game scoreless at half time, Koya Yuruki put Vissel Kobe ahead on 64 minutes before Modou Barrow equalised for Jeonbuk a minute later
With the score level at full time, Brazilian forward Gustavo headed Jeonbuk into the lead before the win was sealed via Moon Seon-min.
Jeonbuk, who have twice been AFC Champions League winners, have bot reached the semi-final stage since they last won the title in 2016.
They now face another Japanese challenge in the form of Urawa on Thursday.
The winner will qualify to play the semi-final winner of the AFC’s East Zone in the final in February 2023.
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