KUALA LUMPUR: Three goals in a devastating 10-minute spell in the first half saw Philippine League champions Global Cebu inflict a 3-2 defeat on Johor Darul Ta’zim in an AFC Cup Group F match in Manila today.
Although three-time Malaysian Super League champions Darul Ta’zim rallied in the second half with two goals by Gabriel Guerra, they left it too late to salvage a point.
Global, who were trounced 4-0 by Darul Ta’zim at Larkin on Mar 14, led 3-0 at the break before holding off a Darul Ta’zim fight back to regain top spot in the group with a two-point advantage over the Malaysian champions.
Only the group winners are guaranteed of advancing to the next round with Global now on nine points after four games.
Safiq Rahim was a rare non-starter at the Rizal Memorial Stadium with Nazmi Faiz Mansor and Amirulhadi Zainal coming into midfield among four changes made by Benjamin Mora from the 3-1 defeat to Pahang in last weekend’s FA Cup tie.
Ahmad Hazwan Bakri was unlucky to see his shot across the goal come back off the far post in the fifth minute but Global stunned Darul Ta’zim by taking the lead in the 26th minute.
Seconds after Kemy Agustien struck the crossbar, Dennis Villanueva was alert to a low cross into the box which and got in front of Marcos Antonio Santos to turn into the goal past Izham Tarmizi Roslan.
Shu Sasaki slid the ball between Izham’s legs after a long pass over the visitors’ defence to make it 2-0 six minutes later before Darul Ta’zim were sliced open again when Amani Aguinaldo turned a square pass into the net in the 35th minute.
Guerra lashed home from the top of the box to reduce the arrears just two minutes into the second half before the Argentine set up a tense finale for the hosts when he scored again in the 83rd minute.