Urawa, who scored an impressive 21 goals and conceded none in the group stage, were let off the hook in the fifth minute after Wuhan’s Song Fei sent a long ball for Tereza Engesha, who outmuscled her marker down the right flank before seeing her shot parried away by keeper Sakiko Ikeda.

The Japanese side almost broke through five minutes later when Reina Nagashima floated a cross into the box for Mei Shimada, who failed to make contact, with the ball then taking a bounce before missing the right post by a whisker.

Urawa had a half chance in the 33rd minute but Wuhan kept cool with Wu Haiyan intercepting Yuzuho Shiokoshi’s flick for Shimada, who later had her attempt from just inside the box saved by keeper Ding Xuan.

Hana Takahashi and Shimada both saw their efforts from distance sail over the bar, while Ding pulled off a save to deny Miki Ito’s attempt from point blank range as the tie remained goalless heading into the break.

Ding had to be on her toes two minutes after the restart when she foiled Yuzuho Shiokoshi from just above the box, while Akari Kurishima skied her attempt from inside the area following Shimada’s layoff of a set-piece situation.

Urawa almost found a way through in the 76th minute but Ding was quick to intervene Ito’s long pass to Takahashi as the match went into extra-time.

The Japanese side wasted clear cut chances with substitute Satoko Fujisaki forcing Ding into a fingertip save in the first half of extra-time, before coming close again in the second period after seeing her curling effort sail over the bar.

Wuhan wasted an attempt in the closing stages of the second half with Deng Mengye failing to score from her own half into an unattended goal, while Takahashi blasted wide from close range as the match went to penalties. 

Chen Chen, who replaced Ding just before the shootout, lived up to expectations to deny Ito and Yun Endo as Wuhan Jiangda continued their journey into the semi-finals.