Chinese outfit Shandong Taishan secured their place in the league stage of the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite after defeating Thai giants True Bangkok United 4-3 in a tense penalty shootout during their Preliminary Stage 2 match on Tuesday at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium.
After a hard-fought 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, Shandong triumphed in the penalty shootout to confirm their entry into Asia’s premier club football competition. Bangkok United, on the other hand, will drop down to the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Two group stages.
The Chinese side started brightly, with Portuguese-born naturalized midfielder Pedro Delgado’s deflected shot nearly catching Bangkok United goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai off guard at the near post, while Valeri Qazaishvili came close but dragged his effort wide after breaking into the box.
Bangkok United responded quickly, creating two chances in the 21st minute. Richairo Zivkovic saw his effort blocked by Zhao Jianfei after a quick counter-attack, while Shandong goalkeeper Wang Dalei had to make a crucial save to tip Everton’s powerful header over the bar from the ensuing corner.
The Bangkok Angels struck first in the 37th minute, as Bassel Jradi’s pinpoint pass found former Ajax youngster Zivkovic, who raced past Wang to guide the ball into the net. Shandong quickly hit back before halftime, with former Ulsan HD ace Qazaishvili collecting the ball from a short corner and curling a stunning shot past Patiwat from the edge of the box in the 43rd minute to level the score.
The second half was a more cautious affair, with both teams struggling to create clear chances as they found it difficult to maintain possession in the opposition’s half.
The first major test for Patiwat came in the 66th minute from a Delgado free-kick, which he managed to parry away. Shortly after, Zivkovic hit the post in what could have been a decisive moment for Bangkok.
Neither side could break the deadlock through the remainder of regular time or the additional 30 minutes of extra time, setting up a dramatic penalty shootout. Zivkovic and Thossawat Limwasanathian both missed their penalties, allowing Shandong to clinch their ticket to the ACLE league stage.