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Journalism of Courage
Andres Iniesta, who helped Vissel Kobe win their first-ever title at the Emperor’s Cup back in January, was in fine form again on Wednesday as he led his team from the heart of midfield to demolish Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim in the AFC Champions League.
In Vissel Kobe’s first-ever appearance in the Asian Champions League, the Japanese club thrashed JDT 5-1 where the former Barcelona playmaker assisted a flurry of goals for Thorsten Fink’s side.
Keijiro Ogawa starred with a hat-trick in the Group G clash, while Kyogo Furuhashi and Brazilian striker Douglas were also on target.
In his midfield masterclass, the 35-year-old first set up Ogawa with a perfectly weighted pass from inside his own half, which allowed his teammate to lift the ball over goalkeeper Farizal Marlias.
https://twitter.com/twinglish/status/1227574778963169280
To help his team consolidate the dominance in the second half, Iniesta pulled the strings for Vissel’s third in the 58th minute as Ogawa scored again.
The Spaniard was at his most audacious in setting up Ogawa’s third, lifting the ball invitingly towards the far post for the forward to head into an empty goal.
https://twitter.com/twinglish/status/1227575800444022790
On the other hand, other Japanese clubs had nights to remember too, as J-League champions Yokohama F Marinos began their campaign with a 2-1 win over two-time champions Jeonbuk Motors in South Korea in Group H.
In the western half of the draw, Iniesta’s former teammate Xavi Hernandez endured frustration on the bench of Qatar’s Al Sadd as his side were held to a 2-2 draw by Saudi Arabia champions Al Nassr in Group D.
