DUBAI —Fabio Cannavaro expects his angry Guangzhou Evergrande players to overturn a first leg deficit against South Korean outfit Seongnam and book a place in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Wednesday. The Chinese champion side conceded a 96th minute penalty from Kim Do-heon to lose 2-1 in the first leg in Korea last week and also had defender Li Xuepeng sent off midway through the second half.
“The players are angry and annoyed,” the Italian World Cup-winner said. “They are angry because it was a tough match and we had a red card and a penalty, but I trust they will use this anger in the second match when we play at home in Guangzhou.
“We scored an away goal and that is very important and we will look to prepare and we will see who passes to the next round.”
The 2013 winner has failed to show the same free-flowing attacking approach as under previous coach Marcello Lippi, who retired last season.
Guangzhou is without a win in its last four AFC Champions League matches and conceded another late goal to draw 2-2 with crosstown rival R&F in the Chinese Super League Saturday.
Seongnam is one of four South Korean sides looking for a quarterfinal berth this week but the only one taking an advantage into the second leg.
K-League leader Jeonbuk Motors is also in China to take on Beijing Guoan Tuesday after last week's 1-1 draw at home. Elsewhere Japanese duo Gamba Osaka and Kashiwa Reysol will be confident of progressing after securing three away goals each in first leg wins in Korea.
J-League champion Gamba, boasting a 3-1 advantage, looks to finish off the job against FC Seoul Wednesday, while Kashiwa face Suwon Bluewings Tuesday with a 3-2 first leg lead. In the western half, Michael Laudrup is close to taking Lekhwiya to the quarterfinal ahead of Qatari rival and 2011 champion Al-Sadd. The former Barcelona and Real Madrid star led his team to a 2-1 win in the first leg.
Laudrup and Lekhwiya won the domestic title in April, although the team has never progressed past the last eight in the Asian Champions League.
The two biggest teams in West Asia meet with Persepolis of Iran 1-0 ahead of Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal. One hundred thousand watched the first leg with sixty thousand expected in Riyadh to cheer on the 2014 finalist.
The other Saudi Arabia-Iran clash has Naft Tehran traveling to Riyadh to take on Ahli with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg. The first leg of the all United Arab Emirates clash between Al Ain and Al Ahli ended goalless. — Agencies
