AFC scene still evergreen for Evergrande
Guangzhou Evergrande and Kashiwa Reysol join FC Seoul and Esteghlal in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League.
Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande remained on a treble trophy course on Wednesday when they breezed past Lekhwiya of Qatar to reach the Asian Champions League semi-finals.
The Chinese side won 4-1 in Doha to complete a comfortable 6-1 aggregate win and become the first club from China to get to the semi-finals in eight years.
Dario Conca and Elkeson, who were both on target in the first leg last month, scored in the 14th and 16th minutes respectively to put their side comfortably in control.
Muriqui added a third in the 31st minute to take his tournament tally to nine.
The Qataris grabbed a consolation in the 50th minute through South Korean midfielder Nam Tae-hee.
But Elkeson claimed his second – and his side’s fourth – in the 72nd minute.
Lippi’s men have three trophies in their sights.
They hold a 14-point lead in the Chinese Super League and have reached the domestic cup semi-finals.
Japan’s Emperor’s Cup-holders Kashiwa Reysol made the semi-finals and will face Guangzhou after a 2-2 draw in Riyadh against Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab allowed them to progress on away goals after the first leg ended 1-1.
Naoya Kondo’s 73rd-minute header proved decisive as Kashiwa became the first Japanese club since 2009 to reach the semi-finals.
Al Shabab’s Hassan Muath made it 2-2 on the night five minutes from time, but the Saudis could not find a third goal.
Naif Hazazi had put the hosts ahead with a header in the 10th minute but the visitors quickly got back on level terms as Kwak Tae-hwi headed a Ryiochi Kurisawa cross into his own net.
In the earlier fixtures, FC Seoul and Esteghlal made it through to the semis.