In a thrilling showdown at Mong Kok Stadium, Lee Man overcame BC Rangers with a 3:2 victory in the HKPLC semi-final, securing their place in the final.
Lee Man wasted no time and broke the deadlock within just 5 minutes of the game. Lam Ka Wai gave away the ball easily near his own box, which allowed Henri Anier to pounce on the loose ball and unleash a powerful strike, giving Lee Man a 1:0 lead.
The 16th minute witnessed a close call for Lee Man as Mitchel Paulissen's corner found Luis Eduardo unmarked near the goal, but his header sailed over the crossbar.
BC Rangers responded with a series of attacking moves to regain momentum. In the 22nd minute, Kanda Yumemi embarked on a mesmerizing run down the left flank, only to see his angled shot narrowly miss the target. Shortly after, Lau Chi Lok delivered a cross from the right, but Chiu Ching Yu's close-range attempt couldn’t find the target also.
Lee Man struck again in the 33rd minute, capitalizing on Henri Anier's pinpoint pass from midfield. Givanilton remained composed in front of the goalkeeper and clinically finished to make it 2:0. Standard Liège's hopes were dealt a severe blow in the 36th minute when Yiu Ho Ming was shown a straight red card for elbowing Ngan Lok Fung. Despite being reduced to ten men, BC Rangers battled on, but the first half concluded with Lee Man's 2-0 advantage intact. The second half started with BC Rangers’ scoring opportunities. In the 49th minute, Umeofia found himself in a goalmouth scramble inside the penalty area, only to be denied by the goalkeeper's outstretched foot. However, BC Rangers' missed chances came back to haunt them when Lee Man struck once again in the 49th minute. Mitchel Paulissen's exquisite through pass from midfield found Givanilton, who expertly shook off the defender, entered the penalty area, and delicately chipped the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper, extending Lee Man's lead to a commanding 3:0.
In the 56th minute, Givanilton came agonizingly close to completing a hat-trick, but his shot towards the empty net was heroically cleared off the goal line by Lo Kwan Yee. Undeterred by being a man down, BC Rangers displayed resilience and managed to pull a goal back in the 73rd minute. Umeofia's pass struck an opposing defender and fell kindly to Lau Chi Lok, who unleashed a fierce shot from the edge of the box, reducing the deficit to 1:3.
Lee Man responded with their own attacking onslaught. Givanilton expertly evaded the defender on the right flank and delivered a cross into the danger zone, but Simionato Paulo Sergio's header narrowly missed the target.
In the dying minutes of the game, BC Rangers continued to press for another goal. Firstly, Hayashi Ryota connected with a corner kick from the left, only to see his header narrowly missed the target. During injury time, Kanda Yumemi embarked on a surging run down the right wing before delivering a perfectly timed cross, which Umeofia converted from close range with his head, making it 2:3. Nevertheless, Lee Man held firm and emerged victorious with a 3:2 triumph over BC Rangers, securing their place in the final.