AFC Champions League: Shanghai SIPG Beat Sydney FC 2-1

Doha, November 19 (QNA) - Li Shenglong starred on Thursday, scoring two headers to help Shanghai SIPG come from behind to beat Sydney FC 2-1 at Khalifa International Stadium in Group H of the 2020 AFC Champions League. Sydney FC came racing out of the blocks and within five minutes they had their first big break. A Paulo Retre though ball found Trent Buhagiar free down the right flank and he squared for Kosta Barbarouses who had the goal at his mercy with the Shanghai SIPG defenders left chasing shadows, but the Sydney FC number 11 fluffed his lines, squandering the chance for an early opener. Barbarouses was presented with the chance to make amends three minutes later when goalkeeper Thomas Heward-Belle sent a long ball for Buhagiar who nodded it into the path of Barbarouses who showed impeccable awareness to find his teammate with the return pass. Buhagiar took it first-time, sending a left-footed effort into the top corner to open the scoring for Sydney FC. Sydney FC continued to enjoy the bulk of possession in the opening minutes of the second half and Barbarouses nearly doubled his side’s tally 10 minutes after the restart after being set up by a Rhyan Grant header, but the New Zealander international could not find the target with his point-blank header. It was Vitor Perreira’s Shanghai SIPG who found the back of the net instead. With 63 minutes on the clock, Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy took advantage of a quickly taken set-piece down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross catching the Sydney FC defence napping and finding Li who was left to pick his spot with a free-header, driving home the leveler. With just 11 minutes to go, Li popped up in space inside the box once more, getting on the end of a whipped cross from substitute Yu Hai from the left to send a diving header in off the upright, leaving goalkeeper Heward-Belle rooted to the spot. The 23-year-old goalkeeper’s night went from bad to worse as he was sent-off in added time for handing the ball outside the box, leaving Grant to fill in between the sticks as Sydney FC had already used up all their substitutions. (QNA)