Cong An Hanoi FC secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur FC on Thursday night, clinching a spot in the 2024-25 ASEAN Club Championship semifinals as group winners with a match to spare.

The Vietnamese side, managed by the Hanoi Department of Public Security, got off to a strong start when midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai opened the scoring in the 10th minute, receiving a long pass from his teammate and finishing decisively.

The two teams then played an open, attacking game. 

In the 24th minute, Kuala Lumpur equalized with a header from Adrijan Rudovic off a corner kick. 

Just eight minutes later, the Malaysian team took the lead 2-1 through Paulo Josue, whose delicate header beat goalkeeper Nguyen Filip.

After the break, coach Alexandre Polking made line-up adjustments, which helped Cong An Hanoi improve their performance in the second half.

Their efforts paid off in the 67th minute when Bui Hoang Viet Anh equalized to make it 2-2 from a corner kick.

The match grew more tense as Kuala Lumpur adopted an aggressive approach, but it came at a cost: Kamal Azizi and Paulo Josue were both shown red cards.

Taking advantage of the player advantage, Cong An Hanoi pressed forward and found the decisive goal in the first added minute, with Le Van Do scoring after a sustained attack on the opponents' goal.

The 3-2 triumph over Kuala Lumpur kept Cong An Hanoi at the top of Group B with 12 points, securing a spot in the semifinals with a match to spare, as only four rounds of the group stage have been completed.

Thailand’s Buriram United sit in second place with seven points, followed by Kuala Lumpur and Indonesia’s Borneo FC, both on six points, with the Malaysian side ahead on goal difference.

Singapore’s Lion City Sailors FC are ranked fifth with four points, followed by the Philippines’ Kaya FC, who have yet to score.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam!