Shenhua make winning start as ACL returns

HONG KONG: Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua made a winning start to their Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over Australia’s Perth Glory as action resumed in the eastern half of the continental club championship in Doha.

Peng Xinli put Shanghai in front with only seven minutes on the clock when he finished off a flowing move down the let wing before shooting across goalkeeper Tando Velaphi.

Yu Hanchao doubled the advantage seven minutes before the break. Although Jonathan Aspropotamitis reduced the deficit in the 81st minute, Shanghai held on. Shenhua were making their first appearance in this year’s competition ater all of their games were postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meaning Chinese teams were unable to play outside their homeland.

The win for the team led by Choi Kang-hee, a two-time Asian Champions League winner with South Korean side Jeonbuk Motors, gave Shanghai three points and moves them up to second place in Group F behind leaders FC Tokyo.

The Japanese club sit on four points, having played two of their fixtures earlier in the year.

Fiteen teams from the east of the continent have converged to play out what remains of the competition ater COVID-19 pandemic halted proceedings in March.

At stake is a place in the final against Iran’s Persepolis, who qualified for the decider for the second time in three years ater coming through the western zone’s equivalent centralised competition – also played in Doha – in September and October.

Organisers will be hoping to avoid the issues that affected those matches, when defending champions Al Hilal were unable to complete their fixtures ater infections let the club with only 11 fit players, two of them goalkeepers.