Vagner Love outshone Cerezo Osaka’s Diego Forlan with two goals in a stunning 3-1 win as China’s Shandong Luneng went top of Group E in the Asian Champions League last night.
After his fellow Brazilian Aloisio had headed Shandong into a fifth-minute lead at the Osaka Nagai Stadium, Love struck with a pair of exquisite finishes.
The 29 year old swivelled and shot past goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon from the edge of the box in the 26th minute and netted a similar goal 11 minutes into the second half.
Cerezo gave Uruguayan international Forlan his first start in the competition, but they could only muster a goal by Yoichiro Kakitani six minutes from time.
Shandong were joined on four points by Korean double-winners Pohang Steelers, who beat Buriram United 2-1 in Thailand thanks to first-half goals by Kim Tae-soo and Kim Seung-dae. The Thai Premier League champions pulled a goal back with 21 minutes left when Adisak Kraisorn’s header was fumbled into the net by goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong.
In Group F, Korean side FC Seoul stayed top after drawing 1-1 at Beijing Guoan. Nigerian forward Peter Utaka gave the Chinese club a 20th minute lead, but Go Yo-han came off the bench to fire home the equaliser in the 71st minute.
FC Seoul moved up to four points, one ahead of Australia’s Central Coast Mariners, who bounced back from a 2-0 defeat to the Korean side two weeks ago with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Japanese champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Two strikes by Nilmar gave Qatar’s El Jaish a 2-1 win away to Bunyodkor in Group B, with Oleksandr Pischchur pulling a late goal back for the Uzbeks. El Jaish are tied atop the group with Iranian side Foolad, who beat Al Fateh of Saudi Arabia on a Bakhtiar Rahmani penalty kick.
Kalu Uche's goal after 14 minutes was the difference as Al Rayyan of Qatar beat Iran's Esteghlal 1-0 in Group A.
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