Bangkok United FC fought back from being two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against Lion City Sailors FC in a Group B match of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ at BG Stadium in Pathum Thani on Thursday.
The result means both clubs earned their first point in their 2025/26 Shopee Cup™ campaign following losses in their opening matches.
Lion City Sailors, the reigning Singapore Premier League champions, seized the early initiative with superbly taken goals by Maxime Lestienne and Anderson Lopes inside the opening 20 minutes before the home team salvaged a draw with efforts by Jakkapan Praisuwan in the 24th minute and a 76th minute equaliser by Seia Kunori.
Bangkok United entered the game on the back of two recent wins over the visitors in the AFC Champions League Two group stage and Kunori came close with the first attempt of the match, which narrowly missed the target in the 10th minute.
Against the run of play, Lion City Sailors struck almost immediately through a glorious goal by Belgium’s Lestienne.
The 33-year-old winger collected a pass on the right from Hami Syahin before cutting inside the box and unleashed a left-foot strike which beat a flat-footed Patiwat Khammai in the Bangkok United goal.
Ten minutes later the visitors doubled their advantage, this time with Brazilian forward Lopes squeezing in a shot into the bottom left corner after latching onto a perfectly-weighted through ball from Tsiy Ndenge.
Bangkok United gallantly fought back in the 24th minute when an unmarked Jakkapan was allowed the space to hit a low effort from outside the box past goalkeeper Ivan Susak.
The Thai club came out for the second half on the front-foot but it was Lion City who came closest to scoring again, this time with wingback Diogo Costa letting fly a long-range effort which sailed above the crossbar in the 57th minute.
The introduction of Luka Adzic just after the hour mark delivered a much-needed spark for Bangkok United as they chased the equaliser and they were duly rewarded in the 76th minute.
After seeing an initial attempt palmed away by Susak, Thitiphan Puangjan delivered a cross into the path of Kunori, who made no mistake from close range to earn Bangkok United a well-deserved draw.
Shopee Star of the Match - Seia Kunori (#17), Bangkok United FC
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