ACL MD4 - GROUP F: BURIRAM UNITED 1-2 GAMBA OSAKA

Buriram: A late goal from substitute Kotaro Omori kept alive Gamba Osaka’s hopes of a place in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League after the J.League champions downed Thailand’s Buriram United 2-1 on Tuesday to claim a crucial first win in Group F.

Theerathon Bunmathan had been on target last month as the two sides shared a 1-1 draw in Japan and the set piece specialist found the net again against Gamba in the ninth minute after scoring direct from a corner at Buriram Stadium.

But the Thai champions then conceded on the 40th minute as Brazilian striker Lins levelled for the visitors against the run of the play.

Buriram, who were yet to lose in the 2015 edition of the AFC Champions League ahead of their second meeting with the previously winless Gamba, dominated the second half but would pay price for their prolificacy as Omori fired home on 87 minutes to snatch all three points for 2008 winners.

With Korea Republic’s Seongnam FC and China’s Guangzhou R&F sharing a goalless stalemate in the group’s earlier game, Buriram now share first place with the Korean FA Cup holders on seven points with Gamba and Guangzhou three points further back with two games remaining.

Click here for the latest AFC Champions League standings
Hasegawa hails Gamba's unity in win against Buriram

The hosts were on top in the opening phases of the game and, with Gamba losing defender Takaharu Nishino to an early injury, their concerted pressure resulted in the match’s opening goal inside the first 10 minutes.

After a succession of corners had bombarded Masaaki Higashiguchi’s goal, Theerathon scored direct from the set piece as his venomous, inswinging left-footed corner evaded attackers and defenders alike to curl past the Gamba custodian and inside the far post.

Buriram’s Brazilian striker Diogo then could, and perhaps should, have put the Thai club further in front shortly before the quarter hour mark, but after finding himself free inside the area, he could only direct his shot tamely at Higashiguchi.

Gamba, who picked up their first point of the competition against Buriram in the first meeting in Osaka, strived for an equaliser but left themselves exposed at times, with Buriram’s Jakkaphan Kaewprom hitting the side netting with an angled effort after half an hour.

But with five minutes of the half remaining Gamba were back on level terms as Hiroyuki Abe found Shu Kurata on the left-hand side of the penalty area and the midfielder cut the ball back across the face of the box for Lins to steer his shot past Siwarak Tedsungnoen from close range.

A final flurry in the minutes before the interval then saw Gilberto Macena and Diogo go close, with Takashi Usami at the other end of the field also having a goal ruled out for offside as the sides went into the break with the scores equal.

In the second half, Jakkaphan had the side netting billowing again just before the hour mark after he cut inside from Ko Seul-ki’s pass into the penalty area and stroked his shot just the wrong side of Higashiguchi’s near post.

Diogo was then denied from close range by a superb save from Higashiguchi before Theerathon’s joy at a second goal with just five minutes remaining was cut short by the assistant referee’s flag.

And Buriram’s despair was compounded barely two minutes later as Koki Yonekura cushioned Usami’s ball over the top into the path of second half substitute Omori and the midfielder hit a precise volley past Siwarak.