Shanghai Shenhua secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Kawasaki Frontale in an intense AFC Champions League Elite round of 16 first-leg tie held at their home ground in Shanghai on Wednesday.
The game kicked off with Shanghai putting pressure on Kawasaki's defense, but it was the visitors who thought they had opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. After goalkeeper Bao Yaxiong's pass was intercepted near Shanghai's box, Ibrahim Amadou attempted to deflect So Kawahara's pass, inadvertently setting up Yasuto Wakizaka, who found himself wide open to slot the ball into the net.
However, the excitement was short-lived as the referee consulted the video assistant referee (VAR) and ruled the goal offside, sparing the home side from conceding early.
The hosts nearly capitalized on their opposition's early mistake in the 60th minute when Amadou, open at the center of the box, took a shot that sailed over the crossbar. Unfortunately, Amadou suffered a sprained ankle 12 minutes later, forcing him to exit the match early.
Determining the game's outcome came in the 76th minute when Wilson Manafa delivered a powerful volley that was deflected into Kawasaki's goal by defender Kota Takai, giving Shanghai the lead.
As the match approached its final moments, Shanghai had an opportunity to double their advantage in the 89th minute when Chen Jinyi sent in an accurate cross toward the goal's front, but Saulo Mineiro couldn't convert the chance.
Looking ahead to the second leg, the tie will move to Kanagawa, Japan, on March 12, where Kawasaki Frontale will have the opportunity to overturn the deficit.
Other notable results from the evening included Pakhtakor Tashkent securing a 1-0 victory over Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli defeating Al-Rayyan 3-1, and Vissel Kobe winning 2-0 against Gwangju.
Reference(s):
Shanghai Shenhua edge Kawasaki Frontale in AFC Champions League Elite
cgtn.com
