Shanghai Shenhua overwhelmed by Kawasaki Frontale in AFC Champions League

TOKYO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Kawasaki Frontale routed Shanghai Shenhua 4-0 in the second leg of the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16 on Wednesday, overturning a 4-1 aggregate deficit to advance to the quarterfinals.

Shanghai Shenhua had taken the advantage with a 1-0 victory at home last week, but Kawasaki responded emphatically.

Asahi Sasaki opened the scoring in the 24th minute, cutting inside from the right flank before curling a left-footed shot into the net. The hosts nearly doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Kota Takai converted a rebound, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul in the buildup.

Kawasaki continued its attacking momentum after halftime. Sasaki provided a pinpoint cross in the 64th minute for Erison, who slotted home to make it 2-0. Just three minutes later, Tatsuya Ito extended the lead to 3-0.

Marcinho sealed the victory in stoppage time, securing Kawasaki's place in the quarterfinals and eliminating the last remaining Chinese Super League team from the tournament.

"This was my first time leading a team in the AFC Champions League," rued Shanghai Shenhua head coach Leonid Slutsky. "We played 10 matches, and my biggest takeaway is that Chinese Super League teams lack the intensity compared to Japanese and Korean sides. Moving forward, we must use these experiences to help our players continue developing."■