AFC Champions League two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande were held to a draw with Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in their third match in Group G. This is the first time these two teams have met in Asia's top club competition. 

After routing Eastern SC 7-0 in the opening group match, Guangzhou were eager to get another win to extend their lead at the top. 

Evergrande had the better of the first half as the hosts open the scoring in the 26th minute, when Alan fired a low shot into the bottom corner after being set up by Brazilian Ricardo Goulart. Eight minutes later Goulart missed a chance to double the lead when he headed Zou Zheng's cross over the bar. The CSL champs missed another chance when Yu Hanchao was denied by Kawasaki's goalkeeper and the rebound was blocked by the defender.

Kawasaki applied plenty of pressure in the second half, and three minutes into stoppage-time a penalty was conceded by Yu Hanchao for a handball inside the area. Kobayashi coolly converted to make it 1-1 in the last play before the final whistle. 

The two sides will go at it again in Japan on April 12.

After the match, Guangzhou received some criticism from Japanese media, which claimed they wouldn’t be able to score without their foreign talent. Xu Jiayin, the chairman of Guangzhou Evergrande, had recently said “the team would be totally Chinese players 2020.”

Brazil’s Alan Carvalho joined from Red Bull Salzburg on a four-year contract for a transfer fee of 11.1 million euros in January 2015 after playing 130 matches for the Austrian side, scoring 100 goals. Along with Alan, Evergrande have another Samba boy in the form of ex Tottenham midfielder Paulinho who signed in June 2015 for 14 million euros.