Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Guangzhou: Guangzhou Evergrande became eligible for an immediate return to the AFC Champions League next year after Gao Lin's late winner saw Marcello Lippi's side successfully defend their Chinese Super League title.
The 26-year-old, who was on target in the first leg of Guangzhou's ACL 2012 quarter-final clash with Al Ittihad as the Chinese champions bowed out of their continental debut with a 5-4 aggregate defeat, struck a minute into stoppage-time at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sport Centre to seal the 2012 CSL title with one match to spare.
Jainsu Sainty have secured second place while Beijing Guoan will need to avoid defeat at home to champions Guangzhou in their final match of the CSL season if they are to finish third ahead of Guizhou Renhe.
Three teams represented China in the 2012 AFC Champions League namely Guangzhou Evergrande, who reached the last eight in their first appearance in Asia's premier club competition, and Beijing Guoan and Tianjin Teda, who both bowed out at the Group Stage after finishing bottom of Groups F and G respectively.