Jeonbuk Hyundai is preparing for a miraculous comeback.
Jeonbuk will play the away match for the quarterfinal second leg of the 2024-2025 season Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2 on the 13th at 5 p.m. (Korean time) at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
In the first leg held on the 6th at Yongin Mir Stadium, Jeonbuk lost 0-2, leaving them disappointed.
Jeonbuk targeted the opponent's flanks from the early stages of the first leg using Kim Tae-hwan and Jeon Jin-woo. In the 12th minute of the first half, Jeon Jin-woo connected Kim Tae-hwan's cross with a header but failed to score. Sydney fought back with strong physical battles against tall striker Kompanyo.
In the 35th minute of the first half, Sydney scored the opening goal. Klimara, who received a long pass from the back, shook the net with a sudden left-foot shot. Later, despite Sung Beom-keun's save preventing another goal in the 38th minute, Kompanyo's header in the 40th minute was also stopped by the opposing goalkeeper.
As the second half started, Jeonbuk made a change by substituting Yeon Jae-woon for defender Kim Young-bin. In the 11th minute of the second half, they strengthened their attack by bringing in Lee Seung-woo, Jeon Byeong-gwan, and Boateng. However, in the 22nd minute of the second half, Klimara's right-foot shot from the center of the arc again found the net, giving Sydney a 2-0 lead.
Jeonbuk reinforced the midfield by bringing in Kim Jin-kyu in the 31st minute of the second half, but ultimately failed to score a consolation goal and recorded a loss.
Determined to reverse the situation, Jeonbuk departed for Sydney through Incheon International Airport on the 10th and arrived early in the morning on the 11th. After a morning break, the team began adjusting to the local time starting at 5:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. Korean time).
The weather in Sydney that day was pleasant, at 22°C, neither too hot nor too cold. A cool breeze blew, and although it rained, it was not heavy enough to disrupt training.
On this trip to Sydney, a total of 19 players, including captain Park Jin-seop, trained at Barton Park in Sydney. After a light warm-up, coach Gus Poyet gathered the players to convey his message, after which they resumed training.
Meanwhile, Jeonbuk's coach Gus Poyet and Sydney's coach Ufuk Talay are scheduled to share their goals and aspirations for the match during an official press conference on the 12th.
Right after the end of the first leg, coach Poyet noted, "We need to bring about changes in various ways. We will prepare to the best of our ability."
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