Baniyas earn away win in Gulf Clubs Championship; Beijing Guoan hold off Japan's Sanfrecce

Goals from Nawaf Mubarak and Andre Senghor helped keep Baniyas's hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the Gulf Clubs Championship alive with a 2-1 away in over Al Busaiteen of Bahrain. In Asian Champions League, Beijing Guoan defeated Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1.

As their fellow Pro League clubs struggled in ACL competition on Wednesday, Baniyas kept their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the Gulf Clubs Championship alive with a 2-1 away win over Al Busaiteen of Bahrain.

Nawaf Mubarak and Andre Senghor were on target for Baniyas.

The result took Baniyas’s tally to four points from three games, two behind Al Faisaly of Saudi Arabia, in Group D.

The top two from each group will advance. Jozef Chovanec has helped guide Baniyas to second in the Pro League, eight points adrift of leaders Al Ain and two clear of third-place Al Ahli after 18 matches.

BEIJING GUOAN HOLD OFF JAPAN'S SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA

China's Beijing Guoan saw off a late revival to beat J-League title-holders Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 and break an eight-match win drought in the Asian Champions League on Wednesday.

At a packed Workers Stadium in Beijing, the green-clad hosts dominated for long stages and led for most of the game after defender Lang Zheng planted a shot into the bottom corner on 21 minutes.

Hiroshima's Naoki Ishihara - with a strong hint of handball - controlled a rebound from Okamoto Tomotaka's shot and prodded home an equaliser on 79 minutes.

However, Beijing were not to be denied and just four minutes later Piao Cheng wriggled free of his marker and fired home the winner.

The followed Jiangu Sainty's tense 0-0 draw against Japan's Vegalta Sendai on Tuesday in Nanjing, scene of a notorious wartime massacre by Japanese troops which remains a source of tension between the countries.

Uzekistan's Bunyodkor remain just above Beijing at the top of Group G on goal difference after a last-gasp Kamoliddin Murzoev equaliser rescued a 2-2 draw with 2009 champions Pohang Steelers in Tashkent.

Leandro Domingues scored twice and created another as J-League club Kashiwa Reysol beat Australia's Central Coast Mariners 3-1 to take a firm grip on Group H.

The Brazilian midfielder cancelled out Dutch defender Patrick Zwaanswijk's headedr before setting up Kenta Kano's goal to put the home side ahead on 67 minutes. Domingues then buried a sizzling volley to make sure of the win, and the Mariners missed a chance to narrow the deficit when Michael McGlinchey's penalty was saved by Takanori Sugeno.

Emperor's Cup holders Kashiwa now have a maximum six points from two games in Group H, an advantage of four points over South Korea's Suwon Bluewings, who were held 0-0 at home by Guizhou Renhe of China.

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