The Southern Tigers Roar: JDT Secures Crucial 3-1 Victory Over Shanghai Shenhua
ISKANDAR PUTERI, Johor – Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDTFC) delivered a stunning performance at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium tonight, overcoming a stubborn Shanghai Shenhua FC side with a dominant 3-1 victory in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE). The win, powered by a superb brace from striker Jonathan Silva, catapulted the Southern Tigers into a strong position in the group.
The match started with high intensity, but the momentum was quickly halted by a moment of misfortune for the home side. In the 19th minute, JDT’s Spanish playmaker Ager Aketxe went down with an apparent injury, forcing an early substitution. Afiq Fazail stepped onto the pitch, a crucial entry that would prove pivotal later in the game. Despite the setback, the first half remained a tense, scoreless affair.
The deadlock was emphatically broken just three minutes after the restart. In the 48th minute, winger Arif Aiman Hanapi, always a threat, drove a cross into the box. After a slight deflection, the ball fell perfectly to Jonathan Silva, who showed a sharp striker’s instinct to power it home. (1-0 JDT)
With the lead secured, JDT found their rhythm. The crowd erupted again in the 63rd minute thanks to a moment of individual brilliance. Afiq Fazail, the early substitute, curled a cross towards Oscar Arribas. Arribas controlled the ball expertly, turned his defender inside out, and unleashed a low, clinical shot that settled in the back of the net, giving JDT a comfortable two-goal cushion. (2-0 JDT)
Shanghai Shenhua, however, refused to fade. In the 71st minute, they earned a penalty, which was calmly dispatched by Saulo Mineiro, cutting the deficit and injecting doubt into the final quarter of the match. (2-1)
The tension was palpable as the clock wound down, but JDT’s star striker had one final say. In the 87th minute, Arif Aiman Hanapi once again provided the assist, drilling a precise, low pass across the face of the goal. Jonathan Silva arrived to meet it, tapping in his second goal of the night and sealing the crucial victory for the Southern Tigers. (3-1 JDT)
The final whistle blew on a commanding 3-1 performance, leaving the JDT faithful celebrating a deserved and important win in their ACLE campaign. The team's depth and resilience, demonstrated by Afiq Fazail’s impactful substitution, underscore their commitment to succeeding on the continental stage.