Jeonju: 2015 AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors took another step closer to the successful defence of their K League Classic title when they came from a goal down to defeat Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 in Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash.
The Motors went into the Round 23 meeting at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium with a seven-point lead over Suwon, who missed out on a place in the last eight of this year’s ACL following an away goals loss to Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol, and they took their advantage into double figures after two goals in the last ten minutes cancelled out the visitors’ first-half opener.
Former Jeju United midfielder Santos, who returned to Korean football in 2013 after spending season in the Chinese Super League with promoted side Wuhan Zall, put Suwon 1-0 up in the 13th minute, with the Brazilian’s seventh of the season looking like it would be enough to see the two-time Asian club champions close the gap on the 2006 ACL winners to four points.
However second-half substitute Luiz Enrique, who had a loan spell at Suwon in 2008 prior to joining Jeonbuk from Sao Caetano the following year, struck in the 83rd minute to cancel out his compatriot’s early goal before Lee Jae-sung completed the turnaround with two minutes left to play.
Suwon’s disappointment was compounded three minutes into second-half stoppage time when defender Koo Ja-ryong was sent off for a second bookable offence as the Motors moved closer to their fourth Korean league title following the triumph last year and their victorious 2009 campaign.
Jeonbuk return to continental action on August 26 when they host last year’s Japanese treble winners Gamba Osaka at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in the first leg of their 2015 ACL quarter-final, before the battle of the two former champions continues on September 16 at the Expo ’70 Stadium, home of the 2008 ACL champions.
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