KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) suffered their second defeat in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) competition after going down 1-0 to China's Shandong Taishan at the Jinan Olympic Sports Centre in Shandong today.
The Chinese Super League side's Brazilian forward Zeca netted the winner in the 68th minute to help Shandong record their second win in the ACLE this season.
The cagey match saw Shandong break the deadlock following Cryzan's through ball from a fast break which cut through JDT's defence for Zeca to slot in the goal.
The loss extended JDT's winless run against Shandong, formerly known as Shandong Luneng. In 2019, JDT lost 2-1 to Shandong away and 1-0 at home.
With the defeat today, JDT have yet to record their first away win, having collected only one point from their previous two away matches.
Despite the loss, the Malaysian Super League champions are fifth in the 12-team ACLE with seven points after five matches, following two wins, one draw and two losses.
Only the top eight teams will advance to the ACLE round of 16. The Southern Tigers will next take on Thai side, Buriram United, at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Dec 3.