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Japan’s Reds stun Shanghai to set up Al Hilal final

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SAITAMA, Japan: Brazilian Rafael Silva snatched an early winner as Japan’s Urawa Reds beat star-studded Shanghai SIPG 1-0 at home on Wednesday to reach the Asian Champions League final.


The Reds advance to face Saudi giants Al Hilal in next month’s two-leg final after holding on for a 2-1 aggregate win that ended Japan’s miserable recent run in Asia’s premier club competition.


Silva pounced after just 11 minutes in Saitama when he met a Yosuke Kashiwagi corner to power a header past Shanghai goalkeeper Yan Junling for what proved to be the only goal of a fractious encounter.


Japanese clubs have struggled to make an impact in the competition since Urawa’s victory in 2007 and Gamba Osaka’s triumph a year later.


Although Shanghai largely dominated, with Brazil internationals Oscar and Hulk threatening in spells, Andre Villas-Boas’s side lacked end product, allowing Urawa to complete a relatively untroubled victory.


Hulk, who tops the Champions League scoring charts with nine goals, brought a smart save from Reds keeper Shusaku Nishikawa with a dipping free kick after 24 minutes.


But the Reds could have added further goals in the second half as a Tomoaki Makino header clipped the bar and Shinzo Koroki had a close-range effort brilliantly tipped over by Yan.


Al Hilal completed a 6-2 aggregate win over Iran’s Persepolis on Tuesday after scoring four unanswered goals in the first leg.


In Muscat, Omar Kharbin scored twice for Saudi giants Al Hilal.


Al Hilal already had one foot in the final after an emphatic 4-0 victory over the leading Iranian side in the first leg, but Tuesday’s match proved much tougher with Persepolis taking the lead on two occasions only for Al Hilal to bounce back twice and clinch a draw.


Syrian star Kharbin, who scored a hat-trick in Al Hilal’s first-leg win, was the hero once again as he struck twice to help his side avoid defeat in a game played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat.


Nigerian Godwin Mensha put Persepolis ahead in the 16th minute, heading in from the centre of the box after receiving a cross from Vahid Amiri, who snatched the ball from Al Hilal’s Mohamed al Burayk following a corner. The goal briefly raised expectations of a miraculous comeback but the Iranians surrendered the advantage in the 30th minute when Mohamed Ansari fouled Salman al-Haraj and Kharbin converted from the spot. — AFP


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