AFC Champions League Elite
Felipe’s penalty nine minutes after the break at the Phoenix Hill Sports Park Football Stadium was cancelled out by substitute Mutsuki Kato, who scored the equaliser three minutes after coming in.
The stalemate took the Japanese side to eight points with Chengdu three adrift.
The stalemate took the Japanese side to eight points with Chengdu three adrift.
It was end to end action from the start but Wei Shihao’s opening attempt was easily saved by Sanfreece keeper Keisuke Osako while Shuto Nakano’s consecutive attempts at the other end failed to find their target.
The match continued to sputter with Sanfrecce showing attacking intent but no results while their opponents were happy to merely keep possession.
The match continued to sputter with Sanfrecce showing attacking intent but no results while their opponents were happy to merely keep possession.
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Nakano did offer a glimmer of hope in the 40th minute when he was gifted a loose ball, but the defender was too eager to finish and dragged his shot wide from inside the area.
Chengdu captain Tim Chow did well, however, to quickly block Ryo Germain’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box, which proved the last moment of real excitement before the break.
Chengdu captain Tim Chow did well, however, to quickly block Ryo Germain’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box, which proved the last moment of real excitement before the break.
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The second half kicked off with Chengdu's Jian Tao making a superb save from Germain’s point-blank header two minutes in and the drama then switched to the opposing end when Chow was brought down by Hayato Araki.
A VAR decision confirmed the foul, and Felipe made no mistake from the spot, sending Osako the wrong way and giving the Chinese Super League side the lead in the 54th minute.
A VAR decision confirmed the foul, and Felipe made no mistake from the spot, sending Osako the wrong way and giving the Chinese Super League side the lead in the 54th minute.
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Kato, who came on in the 60th minute, created an impact three minutes later when he first-timed the ball home from close range past a flatfooted Tao after being laid up by Sota Nakamura.
Osako pulled off two saves from Hu Hetao and Li Yang while his counterpart Tao had to weather some last-minute offensive action from Sanfreece, with both sides pushing for a winner until the final whistle but to no avail.
Osako pulled off two saves from Hu Hetao and Li Yang while his counterpart Tao had to weather some last-minute offensive action from Sanfreece, with both sides pushing for a winner until the final whistle but to no avail.
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