Yangon: Thailand’s BG Pathum United have moved into the top two positions in Group A of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ after coming from behind to defeat Myanmar’s Shan United FC 4-1 at Thuwunna Stadium on Wednesday.
The home side took a shock lead when they broke the deadlock through Moussa Bakayoko as the half hour approached before Freddy Alvarez levelled from the spot for BGPU just after the hour.
Raniel then put the visitors in front with a little over 10 minutes to play before a double from Nattawut Suksum in the dying minutes of stoppage time completed the scoring to leave BGPU’s qualification hopes in their own hands while confirming Shan’s elimination.
Going into the Matchday Four encounter in third place in the standings, BGPU fielded a strong starting line-up with captain Chanathip Songkrasin and brothers Ilhan and Ikhsan Fandi all included.
But seeking their first points of the campaign, it was the hosts who thought they had taken a surprise lead in the 17th minute when Rintaro Silva drilled into the bottom left corner after being picked out by Hein Phyo Win’s cross from the right. However, after a lengthy VAR review, Bakayoko was adjudged to have been marginally offside.
Bakayoko then made amends in the 29th minute when he robbed Kritsada Kaman of possession 30 yards from goal, burst forward with purpose before creating space of a shot and firing into the bottom corner from 20 yards to open the scoring.
Shan continued in the ascendancy and Khun Kyaw Zin Hein curled one wide from 25 yards 10 minutes before the interval as the Myanmar champions sought to take advantage of their shell-shocked opponents.
As the game moved into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Bakayoko missed a glaring opportunity to double the lead when he shot wide from close range after goalkeeper Pisan Dokmaikaew had made a point-blank save to deny Hein Phyo Win.
Chanathip then curled over from just outside the area in his first real sight of goal before Ilhan saw his effort from 20 yards well parried by goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Phyo as Shan’s lead remained intact.
But the visitors did find the equaliser in the 63rd minute when they were awarded a penalty after Chanathip’s lofted pass in the area was handled by William Nyakwe, allowing Alvarez to drill home from the spot.
BGPU went in search of the winner and Ikhsan held off his marker in the area in the 73rd minute before laying the ball back to substitute Raniel, who side-footed just wide of the mark.
However, the goal they were looking for arrived in the 79th minute when Chanathip played an inch-perfect ball down the right for Waris Choolthong whose first-time cross found Raniel, the Brazilian then getting the ball out from under his feet and finishing into the bottom left corner from eight yards.
The Thai side thought they had wrapped up the game in the final 10 minutes when Ikshan finished from close range following a lovely backheel from Gakuto Notsuda, only for the VAR to chalk the goal off for offside.
But BGPU then put the icing on the cake deep into stoppage time as two more goals added gloss to the scoreline.
In the 99th minute, Notsuda was played down the left by Sanchai Nontasila before his low cross picked out Nattawut to send into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box. And the same pair combined again three minutes later as the Japanese midfielder centred for Sanchai to add his second having only come off the bench in the 95th minute.
BGPU will next host Malaysia’s Terengganu FC in their final Group A match on 5 February knowing that a win will guarantee their place in the semi-finals. Shan, meanwhile, will round off their campaign away to Cambodia’s PKR Svay Rieng FC on the same day.
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