Southeast Asia Malaysia

5 Things We Learned – Perak vs Kitchee

By: , February 13, 2019 11:06 pm
Credit – Utusan Malaysia

Perak beat Hong Kong champions Kitchee on their AFC Champions League debut after a penalty shootout at the Ipoh Stadium on Tuesday. Football Tribe Malaysia’s Aiman Nazirmuddin walks us through their achievements with five main takeaways from this match.

Perak Break Down The Stubborn Kitchee

Defending Malaysia Cup champions Perak proved that they were worthy winners when they knocked out a stubborn Kitchee side in their first qualifying match. The home side were leading from the early minutes, but the side from Hong Kong were able to find an equalizer through substitute Li Ngai Hoi to force the match into added time.

'Wonder" Luiz

The Brazilian forward helped Perak winning the Malaysian Cup last season, scoring 7 goals from 22 appearances. His partnership with Gilmar Jose da Silva Filho is one of the strongest in the division. A cross from Mohd Nor Hakim Hassan in a 13th minute was headed on by Gilmar before an unmarked Wander Luiz slotted the ball past the goal line for the home side to take an early lead.

Hafizul Hakim The Hero

Perak goalkeeper Hafizul Hakim was the hero when he saved two penalties in the sudden death shoot-out with Kitchee to send Perak through to the next round in the 2019 AFC Champions League after this match ended 1-1 after extra-time.

Understanding and Stability

Even though Kitchee started their attacks from the early minutes, Perak's defense stood strong to resist their visitor's attacking talents. Shahrul Saad and Zac Anderson managed to show their understanding and coordination in defense, while Brendan Gan and Dos Santos showing stability in the middle.

Ulsan Hyundai Waiting For Perak

The victory for Mehmet Durakovic’s men sets up an exciting encounter in the playoffs with 2012 AFC Champions League winners Ulsan Hyundai on February 19. It will be an invaluable opportunity for Perak to test themselves against one of the strongest sides on the continent.