Shandong Luneng grab vital away goal at Beijing Guoan

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For Shandong Luneng there was a measure of gratification but maybe a hint of irritation too. They struck first on Sunday night, courtesy of another addition to Diego Tardelli's portfolio of important goals at the expense of Beijing Guoan, but what they could not do was holding on to a lead and inching closer to their sixth FA Cup triumph.

Luneng's head coach Li Xiaopeng will certainly be aggrieved by Gil's unfortunate handball that let Cedric Bakambu equalize through a dubious penalty five minutes into the second half. Ultimately, though, a result that included an invaluable away goal gives Luneng every chance of ending their three-year trophy drought.

Roger Schmidt, however, was left to rue his side's profligacy in front of goal. "We have to be more clinical as we missed too many good openings," lamented the Guoan boss.

"We were unable to make the difference in goals, and that is something this team misses at this level. If we play with more precision, it could have been a different story," he added.

Shandong Luneng striker Diego Tardelli has scored four goals against Beijing Guoan in their three meetings this season. /VCG Photo

Guoan did create a fistful of chances during a barnstorming opening quarter only to lack a cutting edge with Bakambu the main culprit as the Congolese striker twice fluffed his lines from promising positions. Renato Augusto also saw his effort hit the cross-bar following a slick passing move.

The visitors' only opportunity of real note during the early stages was Wu Xinghan's close-range effort, which was brilliantly clawed away by Hou Sen. However, with a rare moment of possession, Luneng managed to break the deadlock against the run of play.

Hao Junmin sent in a corner from the left, and while Hou Sen completely misjudged the trajectory of the ball, Bakambu was found to have handballed in the penalty area. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg immediately pointed to the spot, with Tardelli making no mistake in dispatching the ball into the net.

To their credit, Guoan refused to give up and almost found a way back into the game before the interval as Bakambu, who was on the receiving end of a perfect back-heel flick from Jonathan Viera, went closest with a strike that hit the post.

Cedric Bakambu is quickly transformed from a villain into a hero as he helps Beijing Guoan salvage a home draw against Shandong Luneng at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing, China, November 25, 2018. /VCG Photo

Li Xiaopeng and his players, then, could be pleased with a 45-minute opening in front of a raucous home crowd, who had packed out the Workers' Stadium. The challenge now was to leave with the victory and set up Friday's second-leg.

While Li might have been exaggerating things a little bit when he claimed after the game that the intimidating atmosphere inside the stadium is a testament of Chinese football's bright prospects, there is no doubt that the deafening chants of home supporters can have an unsettling effect on opponents.

Spurred on by the rabid crowd, Viera let fly with a fizzing effort from just outside the box early in the second half, but Han Rongze, who was again given the chance to stand in goal due to Wang Dalei's injury, was equal to it. It was a warning for Luneng, and then, on the 51-minute mark, the hosts leveled.

Clattenburg again pointed to the spot after consulting with the VAR, this time harshly punishing a handball by Gil, who slipped and fell inside the penalty area. Bakambu atoned for his error by giving goalkeeper no chance with a smart finish.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg (R) awards two penalties during this intensely fought encounter between Guoan and Luneng in Beijing, China, November 25, 2018. /VCG Photo

Having squandered the lead, Luneng finally gained some momentum midway through the second period, and Guoan needed Hou Sen to justify why he had been restored to the team. Schmidt's team selection represented a huge show of faith in Hou bearing in mind promising shot-stopper Guo Quanbo's recent performance certainly warranted his place.

Hou's outstanding moment was probably the near-post save to turn away Graziano Pelle's close-range header on the hour mark. There were other times when he kept out Tardelli and the substitute Liu Yang with a string of excellent stops at the end.

At 1-0, the evening seemed a whole lot better for Li Xiaopeng, but Luneng could probably be forgiven for thinking Guoan might still be vulnerable when the teams renew acquaintance at Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium on November 30.

"I don't know how much time will we play (in the second leg), 90 minutes or 120 minutes? I'm just looking forward to our next encounter," beamed Li.