India Crush Korea 8-0 to Complete Unbeaten League Stage, Set Up Asian Champions Trophy Semi-Final

India completed a dominant league-stage campaign at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Korea at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on Monday. 

The win was India's fifth consecutive victory in the tournament, ensuring they finished at the top of the standings with a perfect 15 points from five matches.

The result also sets up an immediate rematch between the two sides in the semi-finals. India will face Korea at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on November 4, with the match scheduled for 7:00 PM IST.

Dilpreet Singh scored twice, while captain Harmanpreet Singh continued his outstanding tournament with another penalty-corner goal. Jugraj Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Sanjay and Angad Bir Singh were also on the scoresheet as India produced a commanding performance in front of a packed Jalandhar crowd.

India began on the front foot, looking to maintain the momentum they had built throughout the league stage. Sukhjeet Singh tested Korean goalkeeper Kim Jaehyeon in the fourth minute with a backhand effort, but the goalkeeper made the save.

The breakthrough arrived in the eighth minute. A well-judged aerial pass from Jugraj Singh initiated the move, and Dilpreet finished with a backhand strike to give India the lead. India doubled their advantage three minutes later through a penalty corner. Harmanpreet's initial effort was kept out, but Vishnukant Singh helped create the opportunity for Jugraj, who converted the rebound to make it 2-0.

The hosts continued to put pressure on the Korean defence and earned another penalty corner. This time, Harmanpreet made no mistake in the 15th minute, extending India's lead to three goals. The strike took his tournament tally to nine, keeping him at the top of the scoring charts.

Korea showed greater attacking intent in the second quarter and earned several penalty corners, but India's defensive unit stood firm. Goalkeeper Pathak produced an important intervention in the 27th minute, denying Son Dain in a one-on-one situation with an outstretched-foot save.

India also created opportunities at the other end. Aditya Arjun Lalage sent one attempt wide, while another penalty-corner opportunity was ruled out after the ball was played with the back of the stick. Despite the missed chances, India went into half-time with a comfortable 3-0 advantage.

Four-goal third quarter puts the contest beyond Korea

India raised the intensity after the interval and effectively settled the contest with four goals in the third quarter. The fourth goal came in the 33rd minute through a penalty-corner variation. Harmanpreet found Jugraj, whose attempt was saved by Kim, but Shilanand Lakra reacted quickest to put away the rebound.

India struck again just a minute later. Aditya delivered a pass from the baseline, which Sukhjeet Singh deflected into the net to make it 5-0.

The pressure continued, and Sanjay added India's sixth goal in the 36th minute. Dilpreet's attempt was saved by the Korean goalkeeper, but Sanjay was alert to the rebound and finished the opportunity.

Dilpreet then completed his brace in the 40th minute. Sanjay controlled Harmanpreet's long aerial pass before directing the ball towards goal, where Dilpreet got the decisive touch to send it past Kim. With the score at 7-0, India had turned their attacking dominance into a substantial lead.

India eased the tempo in the final quarter, allowing Korea more possession but continuing to restrict their opponents' ability to create clear scoring opportunities. Suraj Karkera made a save when Korea threatened, while a penalty corner in the 58th minute failed to produce a goal. India, however, had one more moment of quality in store.

In the final minute, Angad Bir Singh won possession in midfield, drove towards the Korean circle and pushed the ball underneath the advancing goalkeeper. The solo effort in the 60th minute completed India's 8-0 victory. Korea earned another penalty corner in the closing seconds but could not convert it.

Sanjay was named Player of the Match for his contribution to the comprehensive win. Speaking after the match, he said the team was pleased to finish at the top of the pool and urged supporters to continue backing India in Mohali.

“We wanted to top the table, and we did that. We are very happy. I want to request the crowd to support us the same way in Mohali,” he said.

India ended the league stage with 15 points and an impressive goal difference of +29, underlining their consistency across five matches. Japan finished second with 10 points, while Malaysia secured third place with nine. Korea, despite the heavy defeat, qualified for the semi-finals after finishing fourth with six points.

China ended fifth with two points, while Bangladesh finished sixth with one point. In the other matches on Monday, Japan defeated Malaysia 2-1, while China and Bangladesh played out a 1-1 draw.

The semi-final line-up will see Japan take on Malaysia at 4:30 PM IST on November 4, followed by India's meeting with Korea at 7:00 PM IST. The tournament will conclude with the medal matches on November 5 in Mohali.

India now have the opportunity to carry their unbeaten momentum into the knockout stage. However, the semi-final presents a fresh challenge: Korea will need to respond after conceding eight goals, while India will look to reproduce the attacking efficiency and defensive discipline that have defined their league-stage campaign.