Shanghai SIPG have it all to do next Wednesday in South Korea after Jeonbuk scored a crucial away goal in a 1-1 draw in their round of 16 tie at the Shanghai Stadium.
The important away goal came after just sixty seconds as Moon Seon-min latched onto a through ball and fired past a helpless Yan Junling in the SIPG goal.
The home side deservedly got themselves back on level terms just before half time after full back Wang Shenchao superbly headed Yu Hai’s dangerous cross into the far corner.
The cult-figure was disappointed with conceding the away goal but told the press that his team will be ready for the return fixture. “It was a pity that we had a draw at home with Jeonbuk. We need to get fully prepared for the second leg,” he told Xinhua after the game.
Both sides had chances to win it, and Brazilian Elkeson will feel he should have done better after he squandered a glorious late chance to put his side in the ascendency heading into the second leg.
Compatriot Oscar drilled an enticing low ball across the face of goal, but the former Guangzhou Evergrande man was unable to keep his effort from sailing over the bar.
Image by Tom Lamming for That’s
SIPG have thus far failed to win away from home in this season’s ACL and they face the arduous task of having to score in Jeonbuk to have any chance of progressing to the quarterfinals.
After being humiliated 5-0 the last time the sides met in South Korea, Vítor Pereira’s side is sure to be out for revenge when they play the two-time champions at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
Scoring shouldn’t be a problem for the Chinese outfit in the second leg, as the pace of Brazilian trio Hulk, Elkeson and Oscar caused Jeonbuk all sorts of problems last night.
On the other hand, SIPG did look susceptible at the back as Australian international and former SIPG winger Bernie Ibini showed his explosive pace and trickery throughout, while 6-foot 5-inch target man Kim Shin-wook won everything that came his way.
Elsewhere, on Tuesday night Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao got a late winner over fellow Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng to take a 2-1 lead into the second leg of their tie. Shandong defender Zheng Zheng put the decisive goal into his own net in the 80th minute to give the Guangzhou side the advantage as they head North for the second leg in the tie next week.
[Cover Image by Jack Douglas for That's)
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