Hat-tricks from Gao Jian and Johnny Lambert saw Chinese Super League runners-up Changchun Yatai demolish Indonesia’s Persipura 9-0 in the Asian Champions League to get its Group F campaign firmly back on track.
Liu Weidong scored twice and fellow substitute Wang Bo also got his name on the scoresheet at Changchun Jingkai Stadium as Shen Xiangfu’s side bounced back from its opening-day defeat by Kashima Antlers.
Changchun dominated the contest from the first whistle but had to wait until midway through the first half to open the scoring as Gao turned Lambert’s cross past goalkeeper Jendry Pitoy.
Lambert again turned provider for Gao just after the half-hour mark before Lambert opened his account two minutes from half-time after being sent clear of the Persipura defence.
Changchun kept its foot on the gas after the break and Lambert added his second goal eight minutes into the second half with a close-range finish before Gao completed his hat-trick with a header four minutes later.
Lambert followed suit on the hour mark from Gao’s pass before substitute Liu reacted the quickest after Pitoy failed to hold Lambert’s long-range effort five minutes later to net the seventh.
Liu crossed for Wang to head in with five minutes remaining before Liu scrambled home his second to seal the win in stoppage time.
“The goal frenzy was not that exciting and important,” said Changchun coach Shen. “This was just a new beginning for us in the Champions League.”
“It should be a morale-boosting victory that should give us confidence in producing better performances in the remaining group games.”
At the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonbuk, Japanese champions Kashima fought back to beat Korean counterparts Jeonbuk Motors 2-1.
Substitute Yasushi Endo scored the winner in the last minute as Kashima moved three points clear of Changchun and Jeonbuk at the top of the table.
Brazilian Eninho had handed the home side the lead just before the break but Koji Nakata equalised for Kashima midway through the second half.
Chinese Super League champions Beijing Guoan beat Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale 3-1 to maintain its 100 percent start to Group E.
Substitute midfielder Wang Changqing scored twice in the second half at a snowy Todoroki Stadium as Beijing strengthened its position to qualify for the last 16 after only two games.
With South Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa also picking up a second three points after beating Melbourne Victory 2-0, Beijing and Seongnam have already pulled six points clear of Kawasaki and Melbourne.
Australian striker Joel Griffiths opened the scoring for Beijing in the 37th minute with a strong run and finish after the visitors capitalised on a defensive mistake, but Kawasaki were back on level terms only three minutes later as Kosuke Kikuchi headed home.
Wang put Beijing back in front in the 65th minute after producing a first-time finish from a pull-back by Brazilian striker Saraviva Erivaldo.
And, with four minutes remaining, Wang sealed the win with a sublime chip over Kawasaki goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima from the edge of the area.
At Etihad Stadium, former Adelaide United defender Sasa Ognenovski scored as Seongnam beat Hyundai A-League grand finalists Melbourne.
Ognenovski converted five minutes before the break and fellow defender Yun Young-sun sealed the win with five minutes remaining of a scrappy contest.
Qatar’s Al Gharafa maintained its 100 percent record in Group A with a 3-2 comeback victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli.
The home side took the lead after just two minutes at Al Gharafa Stadium in Doha through Mohammed Al Zaini only for a deflected shot from Al Ahli’s Brazilian playmaker Marcinho to pull the visitors level on the stroke of half-time.
After Al Gharafa striker Younus Mahmood had a header ruled out for pushing, Marcinho fired goalwards from inside the area but the effort took a huge deflection to wrong foot Al Gharafa goalkeeper Abdulaziz Abdulla.
And just after the hour mark Abdulrahim Mustafa fired home from the edge of the area to complete the turnaround.
But with 10 minutes remaining Sadd Al Shammari volleyed home from close range.
And Brazilian striker Clemerson netted a minute later with a well-taken finish to put Caio Junior’s side top of Group A by two points ahead of Iran’s Esteghlal, who was held to a goalless draw by UAE side Al Jazira.
Uzbek champions Bunyodkor continued its ominous start to the Asian Champions League with a 2-1 win over pointless Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi.
Brazilian striker Denilson scored twice as Luis Felipe Scolari’s side maintained its 100 percent record in Group B after downing last year’s finalists Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia with an impressive 3-0 win at home last month.
Denilson, who won the Asian Champions League last season with South Korea’s Pohang Steelers after beating Bunyodkor in the last eight, headed home from the penalty spot nine minutes before the break after Al Wahda goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani had flapped at Victor Karpenko’c cross.
Denilson added a second from close range with five minutes remaining after Al Hosani failed to hold Jasur Hasanov’s shot before Saeed Al Kathiri grabbed a consolation for Al Wahda with a minute remaining.
With Al Ittihad throwing away a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 with Iran’s Zob Ahan, Bunyodkor top the table with a two-point cushion over Zob Ahan, with Al Ittihad a further three points adrift.
