Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Shanghai: Wu Lei’s stoppage-time winner sent Shanghai SIPG into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals after a dramatic 1-0 win over FC Tokyo on Tuesday saw the Chinese Super League side into the last eight on the away goals rule.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Shanghai SIPG were the dominant side for much of the tie but could not find a way through to break the resistance of FC Tokyo goalkeeper Yota Akimoto and his backline.
But as the game entered stoppage time, the ball broke to China forward Wu Lei and the 24-year-old was in the right place at the right time to fire home to send the debutants into the next round of the competition and the home fans into ecstasy in the stands.
“It was perfect to score at the very last minute, as the goal also finished off Tokyo's hope of turning it around,” said Shanghai coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
“Of course we were the better side over the two legs so we deserved to win this match, and my players worked really hard to achieve it.
“The next round of AFC Champions League will be in September, so we've got time to prepare.
“We’re excited to see who we are drawn against in the quarter-finals and we hope to continue our journey further still.”
Needing to score to avoid elimination, Shanghai began the match on the front foot and had their first clear chance on the 19th minute as Dario Conca’s inswinging free-kick from the left was met by the head of Kim Jun-young, but Akimoto was equal to the effort, tipping the ball over his crossbar.
The FC Tokyo goalkeeper then pulled off a near-exact replica save as he palmed over Wu Lei’s header from Sun Xiang’s cross on the half-hour mark.
Shanghai continued to turn to force the play as Elkeson then saw his header held by a diving Akimoto, before Kota Mizunuma, who scored twice in the first leg a week ago, nearly caught the hosts on the counter only to see Yan Junling collect his poorly-directed effort.
And Akimoto had the final word in the first half too as he blocked another Wu Lei effort, this time with his feet, after the forward’s surging run inside from the left wing.
The second half looked to begin in the same vein, but it was FC Tokyo who should have gone in front under 10 minutes after the restart as Ryoichi Maeda was played into the area by Naotake Hanyu but the onrushing Yan saved the forward’s low shot with his legs.
The hosts re-asserted their dominance of proceedings in short order though, and Wu Lei had another chance to break the deadlock as he slid in at the back post to latch onto Wang Shenchao’s deep cross but Akimoto was again on hand to turn the ball aside.
As the match entered its final throes, Shanghai threw more players forward in a desperate attempt to find the vital winner and it was their all-time top goalscorer, and best player on the night, Wu Lei who proved their saviour.
Elkeson’s shot from the edge of the area was blocked once more by a diving Akimoto but this time the ball went only as far as Wu Lei who fired past the prone goalkeeper and brought the fans in Shanghai Stadium to their feet.
“Our players fought for 90 minutes but couldn't get the draw we needed, even though we tried our best,” said FC Tokyo coach Hiroshi Jofuku.
“The players followed my instruction and stuck to the tactics that I gave them. I appreciate their effort, we were not lucky enough.
“The AFC Champions League has been a useful journey for us, we learned our lessons and our domestic performance will benefit from it too.”
Photo: Lagardère Sports