With the first leg in Guangzhou having ended scoreless last month, Anderson Talisca’s 40th minute goal proved to be decisive despite Seringho’s equaliser six minutes into the second half as Fabio Cannavaro’s side progressed to the semi-finals.

There they will meet fellow two-time champions Urawa Red Diamonds next month, with the winners meeting either Al Sadd from Qatar or Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in November’s two-legged final.

A 1-1 draw at Saitama Stadium was enough to earn the two-time champions a place in the last four on the away goals rule after the quarter-final meeting between the sides ended in a 3-3 aggregate draw.

And while Urawa’s two goals in the first leg in Shanghai were key to the victory, Otsuki stressed that the experience shown by the likes of Shusaku Nishikawa and Shinzo Koroki was of vital importance in Reds’ success.

The hosts came into the quarter-final tie at Saitama Stadium with a narrow advantage after a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Shanghai last month, and got off on the front foot in front of their home support, before eventually taking the lead on 39 minutes after Koroki's powerful header ricocheted into the net off Shanghai SIPG goalkeeper Yan Junling.

The forward, who is enjoying his most prolific campaign in the AFC Champions League to date, was on target in the first leg against Shanghai as well as netting a brace against Ulsan Hyundai in the Round of 16.

Despite going one down within the first 10 minutes, goals from Andre Carrillo, Salem Al Dawsari and Sebastian Giovinco helped Al Hilal claim the victory which sent them through to the last four of the competition for the fifth time in the club’s history.

Sierra saw his side take the lead at King Saud University Stadium through Ziyad Al Sahafi before eventually failing to hold on as Al Hilal stormed to a 3-1 win.

Urawa advanced after the two-legged meeting between the teams ended in a 3-3 draw, meaning the Japanese side progressed by virtue of the away goals rule as SIPG fell short once again in the continental championship.

With their fans roaring them on at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Monday, the Qatar champions overturned a 2-1 first leg deficit to beat Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr 3-1 to advance to the semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate.