Plenty to fight over: JDT’s Oscar Arribas (left) and Buriram United’s Dion Cools tussle for the ball during the first leg match of the Asian Champions League clash in Thailand on Tuesday. — Pic by JDT
KUALA LUMPUR: The battle to determine the best club in South-East Asia has been put on hold for another week after Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) were held to a goalless draw by Buriram United.
However JDT head coach Hector Bidoglio remained satisfied with his team’s performance against Buriram at Chang Arena, Buriram, on Tuesday in the last-16, first-leg match of the AFC Champions League Elite.
The Southern Tigers had hoped to secure at least a goal from this match to take an advantage into the second leg in Iskandar Puteri on March 11.
However, Buriram, under the guidance of Osmar Loss, dominated the game and made it difficult for JDT to break through, with goalkeeper Neil Etheridge standing firm between the posts.
“International games are always difficult. Playing away in this type of match is even more challenging because it’s not just 90 minutes but it’s 180 minutes.
“For us, this is a good result because we will now play at home. We are a strong team at home, but playing away in the Champions League is always tough.
“But today (Tuesday), the team stayed compact and played as a unit until the last minute. JDT are a big team, so we know we need to improve. We must stay focused and continue to grow,” said Bidoglio.
Despite having the home advantage when they welcome Buriram next Tuesday at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Bidoglio expects another intense battle.
The last time these two sides met at the venue in the group stage on Dec 3, the match ended in a 0-0 draw, marred by red card dramas.
On that occasion, JDT suffered setbacks as both Murillo Henrique and Park Jun-heong were sent off, while Buriram’s Theerathon Bunmathan also saw red.
At the same time, Bidoglio believes that the team’s new star signing, Samu Castillejo, who previously played in Serie A with AC Milan, will be able to adapt better in the next match, given that he only had about five days to prepare for this game.
Castillejo was brought on in the second half to replace Bergson da Silva in an effort to sharpen JDT’s attack, but the plan still failed to break down Buriram’s defence.
“I am satisfied with Samu (Castillejo)’s effort. He is new to the team and is still in the process of understanding our style of play and his teammates.
“However, he gave his best. I believe that in a few more days, he will become more in sync with the team and be able to make a bigger impact,” he added.
