Their bid to qualify for the knockout stage now hangs in the balance, following an opening round defeat to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in Jeonju.

Kitchee remove boss Chu, install Kim as Hong Kong football giants seek ‘harmony’

Singaporeans Lion City, on paper Kitchee’s weakest group opponents, were the faster, sharper, more aggressive, and more imaginative team on Wednesday.

They opened the scoring after 15 minutes, when centre-back Helio Goncalves failed to intercept Harris Harun’s pass from deep, inviting the powerful figure of Richario Zivkovic to arrow a ferocious cross-shot into the top corner. It was a rotten goal to concede.

Lion City moved farther ahead after the VAR intervened to tell referee Yoshima Yamashita that Ogenyi Onazi’s clumsy challenge on Maxime Lestienne happened inside the penalty area.

Yamashita overturned her original free-kick decision and goalkeeper Paulo Cesar had no chance with Lestienne’s strike into the corner.

Kitchee mustered a rally of sorts late in the half. Juninho’s weak connection from six yards allowed Zharfan Rohaizad to save, before the keeper stood tall to repel an angled Ruslan Mingazov drive.

Lion City were responsible for all the bright football, however, and Diego Lopes saw a shot come back off the inside of the post shortly before half-time.

Kim turned to midfielder Tan Chun-lok and marquee summer signing Jakob Jantscher to try to spark a turnaround, with the struggling Onazi and right-back Roberto Affonso Junior both failing to return after half-time.

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Kitchee applied a flurry of pressure shortly after the restart, but there was no visible plan beyond aiming balls into the final third and hoping something broke in their favour.

Juninho sharply pulled up with a hamstring injury to compound Kitchee’s misery.

The one piece of quality arrived with three minutes remaining, Jantscher meeting Law Tsz-chun’s sumptuous right-wing cross with a header into the corner.

Lion City’s composure gave way to panic and gamesmanship, and a host of Kitchee bodies exasperatedly slumped to the floor when Mingazov dragged a late shot inches wide.

The late burst of energy was not enough on a night when Kitchee too often contrived to make a Lion City side spearheaded by former Ajax striker Zivkovic look like Total Football experts.

The Hong Kong club have a big task on their hands to prevent their Champions League campaign finishing in total failure.