Hulk powers SIPG into ACL last 16

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An impressive 4-2 victory over FC Seoul at Shanghai Stadium last night assured Shanghai SIPG a spot in the knockout round (last 16) of the 2017 AFC Champions League.

Towering Brazil striker Hulk scored a goal and provided an assist to fire the hosts to a 3-1 lead in the first half itself.

Keen to finish top of Group F, Andre Villas-Boas' team was looking to bag all three points last night, knowing well that the second-ranked team in the group would face the top finisher in Group H, currently led by another Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning.

Seoul's leading scorer Dejan Damjanovic did not make the trip to Shanghai. Spain midfielder Osmar Barba also missed the match due to suspension. But it was the K League defending champion who found pace early in the match. Kim Dong-woo scored the opener in the 9th minute. The ball hit SIPG goalie Yan Junling's chest before deflecting into the net.

An in-form Hulk then came to SIPG's rescue. His signature powerful shot from 40 yards out flew over Seoul goalie Yoo Hyun's head into the back of the net. Five minutes later, the Brazilian's pass found Zhang Wei in front of Seoul's goal, and he made no mistake.

The hosts' advantage was enlarged in the last minute of the first half. Seoul defender Hwang Hyun-soo failed to clear a pass from SIPG captain Wang Shenchao. The clearance turned out to be an accurate assist for local striker Wu Lei, who headed in SIPG's third goal.

Captain Park Chu-young pulled one back for the visitors in the 69th on a counterattack. SIPG reacted quickly four minutes later with Oscar adding his name to the score sheet and finalizing the score at 4-2.

"We played fast at the start, scoring the first goal," said Seoul head coach Hwang Sun-hong. "But conceding the next two goals made the match difficult for us, which was a pity."

In an earlier Group F match, Urawa Red Diamonds thumped Western Sydney Wanderers 6-1 to join SIPG in the last 16. Both SIPG and Japan's Urawa have 12 points from five matches but the latter sits atop the group on goal difference.

"It was a very good game," said SIPG head coach Villas-Boas. "We were 0-1 down, but the players managed to keep their energy and concentration, and fortunately turned the situation around. I'm happy that we collected so many points in a strong group like this."

SIPG will take on Wanderers in Sydney on May 10 in their last group stage match. Despite securing a spot in the knockout stage, Villas Boas is not taking the last game lightly.

"We are fighting for first place in the group, so that we can play an away game followed by a home match against our next opponent (which would be an advantage). But we will also think about the rotation of players taking into consideration that we have eight matches to play in May," the former Chelsea boss said.

SIPG has a busy schedule ahead, visiting Chongqing for a CSL match on Sunday. It then heads to Shijiazhuang for a China FA Cup match before taking on Guizhou in Shanghai three days later. It currently lies second in the 16-team CSL on 13 points from six matches.

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