Doha: Brazilian striker Wagner Rebeiro scored a hat-trick as Eljaish booked their place in the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League with a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab yesterday.
The Saudi side had already secured their spot in the next phase thanks to their 1-0 win over Tractorsazi on Matchday Four while Eljaish’s win coupled with Tractorsazi’s defeat at the hands of Al Jazira from the UAE means the Qatari club cannot be overtaken.
That leaves both clubs fighting it out for top spot with one round of matches to go, with Al Shabab still in pole position in Group A, two points ahead of Eljaish, who travel to meet Tractorsazi in Iran on Matchday Six while Al Shabab host Al Jazira.
Meanwhile, Lekhwiya lose 3-1 after three second half goals from Essa Obaid, Edgar and Ciel were enough to give Shabab their second win.
Lekhwiya, who were reduced to 10 men late on after Sebasatien Soria was sent off, let slip a first half lead, a goal by Youssef Msakni to keep alive Shabab’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
Elsewhere, China’s Guangzhou Evergrande scrambled into the last-16 stage despite a 3-2 loss to Urawa Red Diamonds in which they finished with 10 men and had coach Marcello Lippi sent to the stands.
In a dramatic encounter in Saitama, Japan’s Urawa kept their title hopes alive heading into next week’s final group games, and also flirted with the three-goal victory margin which would have kept Guangzhou’s progression on hold.
Lippi let his frustrations show and was ordered from the touchline for kicking a water bottle as they went 3-1 down.
A controversial late effort from Muriqui -- in which the referee missed a linesman’s flag for offside -- eased Guangzhou’s worries, although they were also hit by a stoppage-time red card against defender Zhang Linpeng.
Urawa captain Yuki Abe missed a penalty mid-way through the first half and the hosts, Asian champions in 2007, counted the cost when ex-Borussia Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios struck for Guangzhou in the 36th minute.
Brazil’s Muriqui robbed Ryota Moriwaki and fed the Paraguayan forward, who broke through defenders and stepped past goalkeeper Nobuhiro Kato to score in the empty net.
However, Shinzo Koroki made it 1-1 seven minutes after half-time when he was on hand to flick in a shot from Tadaaki Hirakawa.
Urawa then seized control with two goals in three minutes, when Tomoaki Makino crossed for Abe to score in the 63rd minute and Koroki was brought down in the box shortly afterwards.
Brazilian midfielder Marcio Richardes converted the spot-kick on 66 minutes to leave Guangzhou, who only needed to avoid defeat by a three-goal margin to go through, teetering at 3-1 down.
Muriqui scored, adjudged offside but unsighted by Iranian referee Mohsen Torki, before Zhang was sent off in injury time.
In the other Group F game, former Asian champions Jeonbuk beat Thailand’s Muangthong United 2-0 but were prevented from reaching the knock-out phase by Urawa’s surprise win.
The 2006 winners, now one point behind Urawa in third spot -- with only the top two going through -- face the difficult task of playing leaders Guangzhou in next week’s final group game.
Meanwhile in Group E, Thailand’s Buriram United were just seconds from a victory which would have put them into the knock-outs before Japanese outfit Vegalta Sendai snatched a 1-1 draw. AGENCIES
