BEIJING — A first-half double from Brazilian striker Elkeson rescued title-holder Guangzhou Evergrande from possible elimination and sent it into the AFC Champions League last 16 Tuesday. Marcello Lippi's injury-hit tournament favorites had been in danger of bowing out but they shrugged off the pressure to beat Yokohama F Marinos 2-1 in their final group game. Guangzhou was joined by 2006 winner Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, which survived a late penalty to draw 0-0 with Melbourne Victory and escape an ultra-tight Group G on goal difference. Saudi club Al-Ittihad drew 1-1 with Al-Ain of the UAE. Omar Abdulrahman put Al-Ain in front in the 22nd minute. Abdulrahman Al-Ghamdi scored the equalizer for Ittihad from the spot in the 36th minute. Both Ittihad and Al-Ain had already secured berths in the last 16. Earlier in Group H, Western Sydney Wanderers beat Guizhou Renhe 5-0, the biggest win by an Australian club in the competition, to reach the knockouts on their tournament debut. And Japan's Kawasaki Frontale also progressed when it was 3-1 winner at home against Ulsan Hyundai, the 2012 champion which paid the price for losing its last three games. Last week's shock loss to Victory had left World Cup-winner Lippi's much-admired Guangzhou in the perilous position of being level with all three of its group rivals on points with one game remaining. But on a tense evening at Guangzhou's Tianhe Sport Center stadium, Elkeson took just 11 minutes to settle the nerves when he nodded the defending champion in front. And the packed crowd was celebrating shortly before half-time when the big forward, fed by Muriqui, chipped the on-rushing goalkeeper and saw his shot headed over the line by defender Yuzo Kobayashi. With five minutes left, Manabu Saito pulled one back with a scything left-footed strike from the edge of the box. But there was to be no miracle comeback by the Japanese side. In Sydney, Shannon Cole put the Wanderers ahead in the sixth minute with a flying volley and it made it a tournament-record tally by an Australian side with a rush of goals late in the second half. The Wanderers scored four in 13 minutes with Labinot Haliti seizing on a poor backpass to the goalkeeper and Aaron Mooy converting a penalty after Michael Beauchamp had his jersey tugged by Guo Sheng. Japanese superstar Shinji Ono lit up Parramatta Stadium with an unstoppable volley and defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley completed the scoring with a free header off a corner. Victory was unable to follow up last week's win over Guangzhou when it could only draw 0-0 with Jeonbuk, in a frustrating evening when a strong penalty appeal was waved away late on. And Kawasaki went through thanks to goals from Yu Kobayashi, Yoshito Okubo and Jeci, against Rafinha's lone strike for the visitors Ulsan. — Agencies
