Goals: Chanathip 58', 90'+7 - Alan 20'.

At the BG Stadium, Chanathip showcased his status as a top Southeast Asian star against one of Vietnam's strongest teams. He entered the match at the start of the second half, replacing Ekanit Panya, with BG Pathum United trailing 1-0 and down a man due to Matheus Fornazari's red card.

The "Thai Messi's" presence helped the home side gain control. In the 58th minute, a long pass from BG's half found Jaroensak Wonggorn on the right wing. Wonggorn controlled the ball, waited for Chanathip's supporting run, and then slotted a pass to the onrushing midfielder. Chanathip cut inside and fired a left-footed shot into the near corner, beating both Adou Minh and Nguyen Filip to level the score.

Chanathip Songkrasin's brace led BG Pathum United to a 2-1 victory over Cong An Ha Noi in their Group A opener of the 2025-2026 ASEAN Club Championship at BG Stadium, Thailand, on 20/8/2025. Photo: ASEAN United

In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Nguyen Filip, Cong An Ha Noi's goalkeeper, rushed out of his box but failed to clear the ball effectively. Kritsada Kaman headed the loose ball forward to Chanathip, who quickly assessed the situation and, noticing Filip stranded, chipped the ball over the goalkeeper from near the halfway line to seal the 2-1 win.

The stadium erupted as the home fans celebrated. BG Pathum United players rushed to embrace Chanathip, while a disappointed Filip knelt in his goal. Cong An Ha Noi's coach, Mano Polking, looked stunned by his former Thai national team player's performance.

The final score didn't reflect Cong An Ha Noi's (CAHN) overall performance. The Vietnamese runners-up arrived in Thailand without defender Cao Quang Vinh due to injury, but with Australian midfielder Stefan Mauk making his debut.

After a shaky first 10 minutes, CAHN found their rhythm. Alan Sebastiao's positioning, pace, and skill troubled the home side's defense. In the 20th minute, Leonardo Artur's through ball found Alan, who raced into the box and finished with a left-footed shot to open the scoring.

However, the Brazilian forward missed several chances, thanks to Bogdanovic's excellent goalkeeping. In the 12th minute, Bogdanovic blocked Alan's close-range effort with his foot. In the 24th minute, Alan's attempt, similar to his goal, was saved by the BG Pathum United goalkeeper. Eight minutes later, Alan turned provider with a cross from the right, but Le Van Do's close-range shot was straight at Bogdanovic.

Things seemed to be going CAHN's way when VAR disallowed Lopez's goal for offside in the 36th minute. Seven minutes later, Matheus Fornazari received a straight red card for a high boot that caught Bui Hoang Viet Anh in the face. The defender had to be bandaged before being substituted for Tran Dinh Trong at halftime.

Bogdanovic made 11 saves against CAHN's 21 shots. Missed opportunities, a recurring issue for CAHN from the previous season, proved costly. "We played hard but couldn't maintain our advantage," midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai said after the match. "The home team also played bravely."

Elsewhere in Group A of the 2025-2026 ASEAN Club Championship, Malaysian club Selangor held defending champions Buriram United to a 1-1 draw in Thailand. Dynamic Herb Cebu of the Philippines lost 3-1 to Singapore's Tampines Rovers.

Starting Lineups:

BG Pathum United: Slavisa Bogdanovic, Takaki Ose, Chanapach Buaphan, Drincic, Ekanit Panya, Gakuto Notsuda, Sarach Yooyen, Waris Choolthong, Pissano, Matheus Fornazari, Jaroensak Wonggorn

Cong An Ha Noi: Nguyen Filip, Hugo Gomes, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Adou Minh Leygley, Le Van Do, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Le Pham Thanh Long, Quang Hai, Stefan Mauk, Alan Sebastiao, Leonardo Artur.

Hieu Luong