Guangzhou Evergrande on course for Asian Champions League semi-final

Despite a two-goal cushion, Marcello Lippi has called for calm with his Guangzhou Evergrande team on the brink of reaching the AFC Champions League semi-finals for the first time.

The Italian's side lead Qatar's Lekhwiya 2-0 from the first leg at Tianhe Stadium last month thanks to goals from Elkeson and Dario Conca, but the World Cup-winning coach knows the task is only half-complete.

"The most important thing is to keep our equilibrium and we will try to stay balanced and score goals," said Lippi, who is seeking to become the first coach to win Champions League titles in both Asia and Europe. "We will work to keep our balance. With the 2-0 win in our first game, it's not enough to guarantee our place in the semifinals."

Guangzhou fell at this stage last year in their debut appearance in the competition, losing 4-2 in the first leg against Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah before winning 2-1 in the second leg in Guangzhou.

And Lippi, a winner of the Uefa Champions League with Juventus in 1996, is taking nothing for granted ahead of tonight's meeting at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on the edge of Doha.

At stake is a place in the competition's semi-finals and a meeting with either Kashiwa Reysol of Japan or Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab.