By CGTN's Zhang Yang and Wang Meng

Chinese Super League (CSL) title holders Guangzhou Evergrande will host J League winners Kashima Antlers in the first leg of their AFC Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday evening. Evergrande have won eight of their last nine matches in all competitions, and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari hopes to begin the knock-out stage on a winning note.

Guangzhou faced a serious test in the domestic league last Friday when they hosted last season's runners-up Jiangsu Suning. The match was interrupted several times by disputes and Evergrande were reduced to 10 men when Li Xuepeng got a second yellow card after a tangle with Roger Matinez. But the defending champs held on to win 2-1. Scolari's side also triumphed over Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Shenhua in their recent CSL encounters. However, Scolari has been questioned repeatedly in the new season for being overly conservative in his tactics.

Guangzhou’s Alan and Paulinho take training to prepare match against Kashima Antlers. /CFP Photo

Guangzhou struggled in the group stage of the Champions League as the two-time winners drew four games and advanced as runners-up in Group G. But now their World Cup winning coach Scolari insists his men are fully prepared to face Kashima.

"We had some recovery workouts with very good results. My players are in very good condition now. Ninety-five percent of them are healthy enough to play."