Guangzhou Evergrande rally to beat Gamba Osaka 2-1

A pair of stunning strikes from Huang Bowen and Zheng Zhi helped Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande come from behind to beat Gamba Osaka 2-1 at home in the first leg of AFC Champions League semifinals here on Wednesday.

"The two squads are very strong, it is a good result, but it is a game of 180 minutes, anything is possible," said Evergrande's head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Zheng Long saw his attempt from Huang Bowen's through pass wide off the far post just seven minutes into the game.

Gamba went ahead in the 12nd minute when Anderson Patric forced Evergrande's defender Feng Xiaoting to make an own goal.

Scolari replaced Zou Zheng by Li Xuepeng to enhance the defense of the left wing.

Evergrande scored the equalizer in the 36th minute as Huang Bowen's volley inside the box from Elkeson's long pass beat Gamba's goalkeeper Higashiguchi Masaaki. It was Huang's second consecutive match to score the leveler in the Champions League.

The morale of Evergrande was greatly boosted as Paulinho and Ricardo Goulart's shots threatened Gamba's goal.

Zheng Long's free kick whistled past the post just 2 minute after the break.

Captain Zheng Zhi helped the 2013 winner of Champions League take the lead as his bullet header went to into the left corner seconds after his first attempt was parried by Higashiguchi.

The second leg of the two teams will be held on Oct. 21 in Japan. Endi