Shandong Taishan of the Chinese Super League (CSL) secured their place in the group stage of the 2024-25 Asian Football Federation (AFC) Champions League Elite after a thrilling penalty shootout victory against Bangkok United of Thai League 1.
The match, held at home on Tuesday, was an intense 50-50 battle from the start, with both teams creating and missing several scoring opportunities. Bangkok United struck first in the 37th minute, with Richairo Zivkovic finding the net despite appearing to be offside. However, without a video assistant referee (VAR) in the game, the goal stood.
Shandong Taishan equalized in the 43rd minute following a short corner kick. Valeri Qazaishvili capitalized on the opportunity, scoring with a powerful shot from outside the box to level the score at 1-1 by halftime.
The second half and extra time remained goalless, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Shandong successfully converted four of their penalties, with only Li Yuanyi's effort being saved by Bangkok's goalkeeper. Bangkok United missed two of their attempts, allowing Shandong Taishan to secure the victory and advance.
Shandong Taishan will join Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua in the AFC Champions League Elite group stage, which is set to begin on September 17.
Reference(s):
Shandong Taishan advance to group stage of AFC Champions League Elite
cgtn.com
