Kota Mizunuma brace leaves Shanghai SIPG seeing double in AFC Champions League last-16 tie
FC Tokyo midfielder volleys in the winner in 65th minute, leaving visitors reeling, while Jeonbuk’s Leonardo lands a free kick earning them a 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory
A superb brace by Kota Mizunuma rocked Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG as they lost 2-1 to FC Tokyo in the AFC Champions League round of 16 first leg on Tuesday.
Mizunuma’s cheeky free kick routine put the hosts ahead just before half-time and he volleyed a stunning winner on 65 minutes, after Wu Lei had briefly put Shanghai level.
The victory leaves FC Tokyo dreaming of their first Champions League quarter-final, while Shanghai are up against it when they host next week’s return leg at home.
Elsewhere, a brilliant Leonardo free kick earned 2006 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors a 1-1 away draw against Melbourne Victory.
In Tokyo, Mizunuma opened the scoring on 43 minutes when he swept a close-range free kick low and through the legs of teammate Sota Hirayama, who was standing in the Shanghai wall.
Argentine playmaker Dario Conca was at the heart of Shanghai response and he set up the equaliser with a pass to Lu Wenjun, whose rebounded effort was snapped up by Wu Lei on 55 minutes.