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Agence France-Presse

Defending title-holders Guangzhou Evergrande crashed out of the AFC Champions League after group rivals Sydney FC and Urawa Red Diamonds played out a goalless draw on Wednesday.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chinese giants won their first game a day earlier but it proved futile as Sydney and Urawa secured the top two spots in group H with one match to spare.
Sydney reach the last 16 for the first time alongside Urawa, while Chinese domestic champions Evergrande are left licking their wounds after their earliest exit from the competition.
Evergrande won their second Asian title in three seasons last year and they spent big in the off-season, buying Atletico Madrid striker Jackson Martinez for €42 million euros (HK$368 million).
But they will now have to watch as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG – featuring former Evergrande stars Elkeson and Dario Conca – lead the Chinese charge in the knock-out stages.
On the brink: defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande in danger of making AFC Champions League exit
In a tense game of few chances, Tadanari Lee and Christopher Naumoff both had sight of goal in the first half before Shinzo Koroki nearly put Urawa in front in the 78th minute.
WATCH: highlights of the draw between Urawa Reds and Sydney that dumped Guangzhou Evergrande out of the competition


Koroki ran onto a slick backheel from Lee but his low shot was brilliantly saved by Sydney goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic to ensure the game finished 0-0.
China’s Shandong Luneng also progressed from group F after Diego Tardelli’s 10th-minute header from a long-range free-kick was enough to eliminate Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0.
Group F leaders FC Seoul beat Thailand’s Buriram United 2-1 to confirm their place in the last 16, but Group E will go down to the wire in next month’s final round of pool games.
WATCH: Guangzhou Evergrande stay winless after Urawa draw, Shandong take heavy beating from visiting FC Seoul
Only two points separate the top three after China’s Jiangsu Suning beat Vietnam’s Binh Duong 3-0 to go second, and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors displaced leaders FC Tokyo with a 3-0 away win.
In group A, things got interesting with Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad thrashing Iran’s Sepahan 4-0 for their first win in five matches after three draws and one defeat.
A double from Abdulrahman al-Ghamdi and a goal each by Gelmin Rivas and Fahad al-Muwallad saw the Saudis climb to third with six points and they can hope to qualify if they win their last match.
The defeat means Sepahan are out of the tournament while Al Ittihad moved to within two points of second-placed Al Nasr with only one round of group A matches remaining.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Zobahan made the knockouts from group B with a 3-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr with Ehasan Pahlevan finding the target once in each half and Kaveh Rezaei also registering on the scoresheet.
It was Zobahan’s third win in five matches and took them to 11 points in group B, where Qatari side Lekhwiya also made the last 16 cut after beating Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Karim Boudiaf and Mohamed Munatri.
Lekhwiya are looking to regain some of their pride after being dethroned by Al Rayyan in the Qatar Stars League, with their revival coming at the right moment after they were at one stage at the bottom of the group with two draws and one loss from three matches.
“We came here to take three points,” said Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi. “Our target was to win tonight, so I’m happy with my team’s performance and the important victory. We were better and stronger today than our rival, but we were also lucky.”


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AFC Champions League 2016

Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande suffer humiliating first round exit in Champions League

Guangzhou Evergrande, the defending champions, will not progress from the first round after a draw between Urawa Reds and Sydney FC left them mathematically unable to qualify. Photo: AFP

China's Guangzhou Evergrande head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari attends a football match against Japan's Urawa Reds at the AFC champions league first round group H in Saitama on April 5, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

Daisuke Nasu of Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds (L) and Rhyan Grant of Sydney FC (R) fight for the ball in their Asian Champions League football match in Sydney on April 20, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / SAEED KHAN / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE

Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande and Jackson Martinez stumble to Sydney FC

Guangzhou Evergrande’s Jackson Martinez is tackled by Sydney FC defenders in their AFC Champions League group stage match in Sydney. Photo: AFP

epa05190069 Huang Bowen (rear) of Evergrande Taobao celebrates after scoring the 1-1 goal during the AFC Champions League group H match between Sydney FC and Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, 02 March 2016. EPA/PAUL MILLER AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Sydney FC player Robert Stambolziev (C) celebrates scoring a goal with teammate Shane Smeltz (L) as Guangzhou Evergrande goalkeepr Zeng Cheng (R) reacts during their AFC Champions League group stage football match in Sydney on March 2, 2016. AFP PHOTO / William WEST --IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO COMMERCIAL USE--

epa05190104 Ricardo Goulart (C) of Evergrande Taobao attempts to head the ball past goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic (L) of Sydney during the AFC Champions League group H match between Sydney FC and Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, 02 March 2016. EPA/PAUL MILLER AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Guangzhou Evergrande player Zheng Long (L) challenges for the ball with Sydney FC player Mickael Tavares (R) during their AFC Champions League group stage football match in Sydney on March 2, 2016. AFP PHOTO / William WEST --IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO COMMERCIAL USE--

Chinese Super League just as good as Japan's, says Guangzhou Evergrande coach Luiz Felipe Scolari

Guangzhou Evergrande defender Kim Young-gwon (right) and Kashiwa Reysol forward Masato Kudo fight for the ball in their first leg clash in Kashiwa last month. Photo: AFP

Evergrande coach Luiz Scolari and captain Zheng Zhi. Photo: Xinhua

Guangzhou Evergrande edge Bayern Munich on penalties as Guardiola remains guarded on Vidal future

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge moved to confirm that Thomas Mueller (second from right) would not be leaving the club this summer. Photo: Reuters

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola said he was happy with his side's performance against Evergrande and how the tour went as a whole. Photo: Reuters

Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski had several chances to break the deadlock for the German champions. Photo: AP

Bayern Munich's Thiago challenges for the ball with Guangzhou Evergrande's Feng Xiaoting during their 0-0 draw. Photo: Reuters

Robinho only arrived in China on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Guangzhou Evergrande seal their fifth straight Chinese Super League title

Guangzhou Evergrande coach Luiz Felipe Scolari celebrates his first Chinese Super League crown. Photo: Xinhua

Ricardo Goulart scored a goal to help Guangzhou Evergrande secure their fifth CSL title. Photo: AFP  

Beijing Guoan's Dejan Damjanovic (right) nearly scored, but it was ruled offside. Photo: EPA  

Sport

Football

China

Defending title-holders crash out of the AFC Champions League after group rivals Sydney FC and Urawa Red Diamonds play out goalless draw
