Post-Match Analysis: Ratchaburi Mitrphol FC 4–6 Shanghai Port

AFC Champions League Elite | 15 September 2026

Result Summary

A breathtaking ten-goal thriller at Ratchaburi's home ground produced one of the most dramatic encounters in this season's AFC Champions League Elite. Shanghai Port ran out 6–4 winners, though the scoreline barely captures the chaos of a match that swung wildly in its closing stages. Kevin Muscat's side built a commanding four-goal lead before a spirited Ratchaburi fightback made the final minutes genuinely nerve-shredding — only for Shanghai to seal the points in stoppage time.

Match Analysis

The contest was effectively decided in the first half, and the architect of Shanghai's dominance was Prince Obeng Ampem, who delivered a stunning hat-trick before the referee's half-time whistle. The Ghanaian forward opened the scoring with a right-foot effort in the 31st minute, doubled the advantage five minutes later with an assist from Wu Lei, and then completed his treble on the stroke of half-time, teed up by Jaume Grau Ciscar. Ratchaburi's defence had no answer for his movement and finishing precision.

The damage continued immediately after the restart. Lei Wu, assisted by Yue Xin, powered home a header in the 51st minute to make it 4–0, seemingly putting the tie beyond any reasonable doubt.

Worrawoot Srimaka responded decisively from the bench, introducing Martin Njiva Rakotoharimalala, Eakkanit Punya, Chotipat Poomkaew, and Todsawat Limwanasthian across the second half. The impact was immediate. Rakotoharimalala pulled one back in the 71st minute with a right-foot shot assisted by Poomkaew, then headed home a second in the 84th minute from a Jonathan Viera delivery, suddenly making it 4–2.

When Jaume Grau Ciscar struck in the 86th minute to restore Shanghai's three-goal cushion, it appeared to settle matters. Instead, the closing minutes descended into extraordinary drama. Rakotoharimalala completed his hat-trick with a right-foot finish in the 90+5th minute (assisted by Tarek Aggoun), before Eakkanit Punya made it 4–5 just a minute later, assisted by Rakotoharimalala himself. With Ratchaburi pushing desperately for an equaliser, Leonardo Nascimento Lopes de Souza — introduced as a substitute — punished the open play with a right-foot effort in the 90+7th minute to seal a 6–4 victory for Shanghai.

The statistics tell an interesting story. Ratchaburi dominated possession (53%), corners (9–2), and total shots (21–13), yet Shanghai's clinical edge in front of goal proved decisive. Ratchaburi's 17 key passes compared to Shanghai's 8 underline how the hosts created plenty of opportunity — but poor defensive structure, particularly before the break, proved fatal.

Two yellow cards were issued in the 39th minute to Miguel Ferreira Campos and a Shanghai Port teammate for handball-related offences, while Roque Mesa Quevedo and Todsawat Limwanasthian were booked for Ratchaburi in the second half.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast of a 1–1 draw proved well wide of the mark, with a modest confidence rating of 47/100 reflecting genuine uncertainty heading in. While our model gave Shanghai the edge in probability terms (42% away win), the sheer goal volume — ten in total — and the nature of the contest were far beyond any conservative projection. The result was simply an outlier in terms of scoring intensity.

Key Takeaways

• Prince Obeng Ampem and Martin Njiva Rakotoharimalala both delivered hat-tricks in the same match — a remarkable individual feat from both players.
• Shanghai's ruthless clinical finishing in a concentrated first-half spell proved the decisive factor.
• Ratchaburi's second