Football: LionsXII squander 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 to Johor Darul Takzim

The LionsXII threw away a two-goal lead as they lost 2-3 to Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) in a Malaysian Super League (MSL) match at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The reigning champions took the lead in the 37th minutes when Faris Ramli raced onto a pass from the left flank and curled the ball past Johor goalkeeper Izham Tarmizi. Three minutes later, Zulfahmi Arifin's sweetly-struck free-kick made it 2-0.

However, JDT reduced the deficit barely a minute later, when Argentinian striker Jorge Diaz ran through the LionsXII's defence and blasted the ball past Izwan Mahbud.

They equalised nine minutes into the second half, as Luciano Figueroa tucked home the rebound after his penalty kick was initially saved by Izwan. Diaz completed the comeback when he struck his second goal of the night in the 74th minute.

The LionsXII remain in eighth position, with 21 points, and next face Malaysian military side ATM at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday.

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