Seoul, September 16 (QNA) - Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC came back from a goal down to hand Japan's Kashiwa Reysol a 2-1 defeat in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 on Wednesday.

Kenshin Yuba had given the visitors the lead with a fine individual effort on the half-hour mark but Tiago Orobo levelled in the 48th minute and Italo hit the winner 21 minutes later to secure all three points in the opening league phase match for Chung Jung-yong's side, the AFC website reported.

The visitors dominated possession throughout the opening half hour without turning that superiority into genuine goal-scoring opportunities.

Tiago directed a weak header straight at Kashiwa goalkeeper Ryosuke Kojima in the 25th minute after Lee Seung-woo's shot was blocked while Tiago almost punished a slack back-pass by Yuba, sending his first-time shot narrowly wide.

But within seconds Kashiwa went in front. Kojima's long kick out was headed on by Yuki Kakita and Yuba picked up possession 40 yards from goal, cutting in from the left to run largely unopposed to the edge of the area from where he slotted his shot home.

Three minutes into the second half the home side pulled level, Lee Seung-woo slaloming his way into the area before laying off to Kim Tae-hwan and his cross from the right was missed by Kojima to leave Tiago to head in unopposed.

Lee Seung-woo was instrumental as Jeonbuk almost took the lead in the 55th minute, the playmaker muscling Yuba off the ball before feeding possession to Lee Yeong-jae, whose shot beat Kojima to his left only to clip the post and bounce wide.

Kashiwa thought they had regained the lead on the hour mark in the simplest manner, Segawa emerging unmarked at the near post to side-foot substitute Tojiro Kubo's low centre towards the corner of the six-yard box past the static Song Bum-keun.

But VAR officials ruled Segawa had marginally miss-timed his run to stray offside and that minor misjudgement was to cost Kashiwa.

Jeonbuk coach Chung Jung-yong introduced Italo for Lee Dong-jun in the 65th minute and it took fewer than four minutes for the replacement to swing proceedings in Jeonbuk's favour.

Lee Seung-woo was involved again, feeding his teammate on the left as he cut inside and the Brazilian drove towards goal past a pair of Kashiwa defenders to coolly slot his right-foot finish into the bottom corner of Kojima's goal.

Seiya Baba was inches away from an equaliser for an increasingly desperate Kashiwa when he shot across the face of the Jeonbuk goal with seven minutes remaining but Jeonbuk held on to take all three points. (QNA)