Buriram United salvaged a 2-2 draw with Vietnam’s Cong An Ha Noi in the first leg of the final of the revamped ASEAN Club Championship in Hanoi on Wednesday after Peter Zulj headed in a late equaliser for his side.
The Thai outfit, who reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite last month, will host the second leg next Wednesday, with the Austrian midfielder ensuring the battle for Southeast Asian supremacy remains finely poised.
Leo Artur had given the Vietnamese side the lead with a close-range finish in the 18th minute, the Brazilian converting after a deft pass into the six-yard box by his compatriot Vitao.
Ten minutes later Buriram United levelled when Australian defender Curtis Good powered a header beyond goalkeeper Filip Nguyen, but Cong An Ha Noi’s lead was restored in the 35th minute as Alan Grafite slid a low shot into the corner.
With 11 minutes remaining, however, the on-rushing Zulj nodded home the equaliser from close range having seen Nguyen parry Guilherme Bissoli’s long-range attempt into his path.
