Kitchee suffered a 1-3 comeback defeat against Eastern in the first round of the League Cup at Tai Po Sports Ground last Saturday (26th), which means the Blues will now head into the Redemption Group.
With 7 players away on international duty with the Hong Kong, China Representative Team and several others sidelined by injuries or suspensions, Kitchee added U18 defender Poon Wing Kei to the roster before kickoff, the team was limited to just a 16-man matchday squad. The youth-infused starting lineup saw Ma Lok make his first-team debut, while Yu Ching Waii earned his first senior start just after celebrating his 19th birthday.
Kitchee enjoyed a dream start, opening the scoring after just 59 seconds. Ma delivered a precise cross from the left flank, allowing Adrián Revilla to fire home from close range and give Kitchee a 1-0 lead.
However, Kitchee was dealt a major blow in the 19th minute when centre-back Marcos Santos was forced off due to injury. He was replaced by Poon, marking the 17-year-old’s senior debut for the Club.
Eastern piled on heavy pressure during the first half, but Kitchee keeper Ainikaer Maihemuti kept the opponents at bay with a string of brilliant saves. On the attacking end, Kitchee had an opportunity to double their lead when Chan Shing Chun broke through the middle and slipped a through ball to Ma, but the debutant's quick strike was denied by the opposing goalkeeper.
The momentum shifted just before the break. In the 44th minute, Eastern found the equalizer with a brilliant turn-and-shoot inside the box, before they capitalized on Kitchee's stoppage-time defensive lapses to net two quick goals, leaving Kitchee trailing 1-3 at halftime.
Seeking to overturn the deficit in the second half, the coaching staff brought on Ruslan Mingazov and Asier Illarramendi. Despite pushing hard, Kitchee struggled to break through Eastern's defense. The situation worsened in the 69th minute when Yu was shown a second yellow card and sent off.
Down to ten men, Kitchee continued to fight for a breakthrough but ultimately failed to breach the opposition's goal again. The match concluded in a 1-3 loss, and Kitchee will look to bounce back in the upcoming Redemption Group fixtures.