Kitchee fell to their first league defeat of the season last Saturday (April 18), losing 1-4 to Lee Man in the opening fixture of the HKPL Championship Group Phase.
Kitchee found themselves on the back foot early, conceding in the 6th minute before two quick-fire counter-attacks in the 18th and 19th minutes left them trailing by three goals. Kitchee found a lifeline in the 34th minute when Leandro Martínez was fouled in the box, with Martín Merquelanz stepping up to convert the penalty, sending the sides into the break at 1-3. Despite a second-half push, Kitchee conceded a fourth in the 83rd minute from a free-kick header, resulting in a final score of 1-4.