Title holders Buriram United FC will face Selangor FC in the 2025/26 ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ final after Kingsley Schindler’s extra-time goal on Wednesday earned the nine-man hosts a place in the showpiece at Johor Darul Ta’zim FC’s expense.
Buriram United defeated the Malaysia Super League side 4-3 on aggregate after losing the second leg 2-1 in a tense and tempestuous clash at Buriram Stadium as the Thai League 1 champions squandered a 3-1 advantage from last week’s opening encounter.
Bérgson da Silva, restored to the starting line-up after missing the first leg due to injury, scored from the penalty spot nine minutes into first half stoppage time and Marcos Guilherme hit JDT’s second in the 62nd minute to take the game into extra-time.
But Schindler smashed his 98th minute effort high into Syihan Hazmi’s goal to put Buriram United back on top and the home side progressed despite seeing both Guilherme Bissoli and Goran Čaušic sent off in the last 17 minutes.
Jairo had steered an eighth minute header over the bar as JDT sought an early goal to reduce the 3-1 deficit from the first leg while Bérgson threatened in the 28th minute from distance, the Brazilian’s shot hitting the target but Neil Etheridge dived to his left to save.
Ager Aketxe went closer with a minute remaining in the first half, the Spaniard letting fly from 25 yards out but, while Etheridge was beaten as he threw himself high and to his left, the ball narrowly missed the top corner of the Buriram United goal.
The Thai club were living dangerously in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Etheridge fumbled a high ball played into the area, the Philippines international upending Marcos Guilherme.
And while play initially continued, referee Kim Woo-sung was eventually called to the pitch-side monitor and the official from the Korea Republic awarded a penalty which Bérgson converted, slotting down the middle.
Čaušić fired high and wide eight minutes into the second half as Buriram United sought to be more assertive after the interval while the Serbian midfielder went closer four minutes later with a header that the JDT defence hacked clear.
In the 62nd minute, the aggregate score was levelled when Guilherme hit JDT’s second of the game.
Eddy Israfilov thumped the ball towards the penalty area from deep and, after Shinnaphat Leeaoh’s header directed possession into the Brazilian’s path, Guilherme smuggled his effort past Etheridge from a tight angle at the goalkeeper’s near post.
Suphanat Mueanta was denied by Syihan Hazmi with 17 minutes remaining while nine minutes from time Sasalak saw his goal-bound shot blocked by Afiq Fazail before Peter Žulj struck the crossbar with a side-footed effort from the edge of the penalty area.
JDT’s two-goal lead took the match into extra-time and, eight minutes into the first period Buriram United responded.
Čaušic found Schindler unmarked in the box and the Ghanaian winger strode forward to unleash an unstoppable right-foot shot that flew over the outstretched hand of Syihan and into the roof of the net.
A second yellow for Bissoli 17 minutes from time saw the forward dismissed – he will miss next week’s first leg of the final – while Čaušić was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball clash but Buriram United held on with Etheridge spectacularly denying Arribas late on.
Shopee Star of the Match: Kingsley Schindler (#19), Buriram United FC
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