Pohang Steelers vs Johor Darul Takzim FC 0-2

Johor Darul Takzim FC left Pohang with a 2-0 win after scoring once in each half. Marcos Guilherme’s brace settled it, with the first goal coming soon after the break and the second arriving late on.

The first half stayed goalless until the closing stages, although VAR intervened on 43 minutes to confirm a penalty for Johor Darul Takzim FC. Pohang then lost Jeon Min-kwang to a red card in first-half stoppage time, with VAR confirming the upgrade, and Juninho Rocha was booked three minutes later. The half-time score was Pohang Steelers 0-0 Johor Darul Takzim FC.

Pohang made two changes at the break, with Ki Sung-Yueng replaced by Kim Seung-Ho and Jakob Tranziska making way for Jin Si-woo. Johor Darul Takzim FC struck on 49 minutes when Marcos Guilherme scored from Shahab Zahedi’s assist for 1-0, and the visitors managed the advantage through a spell that included their own double change on 74 minutes, when Shahab Zahedi and Oscar Arribas went off for Jairo de Macedo da Silva and Bergson Gustavo Silveira da Silva. Guilherme then made it 2-0 on 89 minutes for his second of the match, with no further reply from Pohang after their additional changes for Kento Nishiya, Kim Dong-Jin and Jorge Luiz Barbosa Teixeira.

The numbers backed Johor Darul Takzim FC’s control of the contest. They had 63% of the possession and 512 passes to Pohang’s 305, while also finishing with a higher xG figure, 2.53 to 0.38. Pohang did at least force more corners, 8-3, and the sides were close on fouls at 15-14, with Johor Darul Takzim FC also ahead on offsides, 4-1.

Discipline was a bigger issue for the home side. Pohang had one yellow card, Juninho Rocha on 45+3, and one red card for Jeon Min-kwang on 45+1. Johor Darul Takzim FC collected two bookings, with Shahab Zahedi cautioned on 10 minutes and Cristian Glauder on 74 minutes.