Advantage Guangzhou Evergrande after first-leg stalemate against Al Ahli in AFC Champions League final
Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari reluctant to play up advantage, but home leg could see Chinese side land second ACL title in three years
Guangzhou will host the second leg in two weeks, with a good chance of winning their second Asian Champions League in three years.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari downplayed any advantage, however.
If we still play like this, it will be difficult for us, we did not play well tonight
“If we still play like this, it will be difficult for us, we did not play well tonight,” Scolari said. “Tonight is a fair result, as I did not see our team create a lot of chances.”
Mei Fang replaced the suspended Kim Young-gwon in defence in the only change to the Guangzhou side from the semi-finals, and they edged the tie in the first half.
Zheng Zhi’s dipping volley from outside the area was only just tipped over the crossbar by Al Ahli goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud midway through the first half.
First-time finalists Al Ahli, unchanged from their thrilling semi-final defeat of Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, began to impose themselves closer to the interval, and midfielder Ismail Al Hammadi’s cracking shot was turned around the post by fully stretched Guangzhou keeper Zeng Cheng.
Barely 40 seconds into the second half, midfielder Huang Bowen beat Mahmoud but struck the underside of the crossbar, and the ball rebounded away to safety.
Tonight is a fair result, as I did not see our team create a lot of chances
Just before the hour, Guangzhou’s Ricardo Goulart, the AFC Champions League leading scorer, suffered an ankle injury that threatens to keep him out of the second leg. He was replaced by Yu Hanchao, who almost broke the deadlock midway through the second half when his quick shot in the area was fended off by Mahmoud.
Al Ahli finished with 10 men when full back Abdulaziz Haikal was sent off for fouling striker Gao Lin off the ball.
