Dec 19 (Reuters) – Junior Negrao scored twice as South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai came from a goal behind to win the Asian Champions League final in Doha on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Persepolis from Iran.
A pair of VAR-awarded penalties either side of halftime swung the game in Ulsan’s favour after Mehdi Abdi had given Persepolis the lead against the run of play in the 45th minute.
Junior’s initial spot kick in first half injury time was saved by Persepolis goalkeeper Hamed Lak before the Brazilian netted the rebound, and he made no mistake with his second effort 10 minutes into the second half to give Ulsan their first Asian title since 2012.
The final, played at Doha’s Al Janoub Stadium in front of a crowd of socially distanced fans, was the conclusion of a tournament that has been largely played in a bio-secure bubble in Qatar due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Ken Ferris)
