The points looked like they would be shared in a game that only came to life sporadically ahead of a frantic finish.

Ebrahim Lutfallah was called into action in the 11th minute to deny Zhang, the striker sprinting onto a ball over the top of the defence before attempting to curl a low first-time shot around the Bahrain goalkeeper, who was equal to the task as he dived to his left.

Mohammed Marhoon almost unlocked the Chinese backline five minutes later, the winger bending in a tempting cross from the left that was put into the side-netting by Ali Madan as he slid in at the far post.

Neither side was able to gain the upper hand before the interval in a largely scrappy first half, with Mahdi Abduljabbar missing with a left-foot shot as the half hour approached while Wei Shihao skied his attempt from distance over the bar six minutes after the restart.

Substitute Xu Haoyang almost unlocked the Bahraini defence in the 53rd minute when he swung his corner towards the far post, where Zhang rose highest to head goalward but Latfullah palmed the ball around the post to safety.

With 13 minutes remaining Ebrahim Al Khatal was only able to find the hands of Wang Dalei with a header after Marhoon swung in his cross from the right as neither side could find a way through.

Haram then smashed his shot into the roof of the net with three minutes left after VAR ruled the striker was offside, and moments later Zhang side-footed home to give the Chinese a second win a row after last month’s victory over Indonesia.

Bahrain’s Waleed Al Hayam was sent off in the dying seconds for a blatant foul on Wang Zimin as the evening ended on low note for the hosts.