Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal players Majed Al-Marshadi (L) and Brazilian Ozeia (front-R) vie for the ball against Iran’s Esteghlal players during their AFC Champions League Group D match in Tehran Tuesday. — AFP

DUBAI — Al-Hilal Club of Saudi Arabia improved its position in Group D of the AFC Champions League by upsetting group leader Esteghlal of Iran in Tehran by a solitary goal Tuesday.



The all-important goal was scored by Nawwaf Al-Abed in the 35th minute to lift Hilal to second spot in the group, tying with Al-Ain of the UAE with six points.



However, host Esteghlal remains on top of the group with seven points.

Earlier, Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande knocked out Thai struggler Muangthong United and moved to within a whisker of the last 16 with a 4-1 rout.



A quickfire double from Brazilian forward Muriqui sent Guangzhou on its way at Muangthong’s Thunderdome Stadium as the Chinese champion stretched its Group F lead to four points with two games to go.



Unbeaten Guangzhou, seeking to become the 10-year-old tournament’s first Chinese winner, would have qualified for the knockout phase if Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors had beaten Urawa Red Diamonds. However, the game finished 2-2.



Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol also stood poised for next month’s home-and-away round of 16, despite dropping its first points of Group H in a 0-0 draw with Suwon Bluewings.



And in the same group, Chinese team Guizhou Renhe kept its hopes alive when it snatched two late goals to beat Australia’s Central Coast Mariners 2-1 and climb from bottom place to third.



In other matches, Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan and Lekhwiya of Qatar drew 2-2 in Group B and Al-Rayyan of Qatar edged Al-air of the UAE 2-1 in Group D.

Generously funded Guangzhou was never likely to be troubled by Muangthong, its 4-0 victims at home last week, and it was no surprise when Muriqui, fed diagonally by captain Zheng Zhi, stabbed the opener with the outside of his boot on 40 minutes.



Three minutes later the Brazilian doubled Guangzhou’s advantage with a carbon-copy goal, only this time with the assist from Dario Conca and the ball curling into the same corner with the inside of his right boot.

Guangzhou was briefly troubled after half-time when a botched clearance rebounded into the path of Muangthong’s Sarawut Masuk, who steered home a leaping header to pull one back.



But Zheng restored the two-goal cushion shortly afterward, before defender Feng Xiaoting added gloss to the victory when a free-kick into the box was parried to his feet with four minutes to go.



Bottom team Muangthong now has no prospect of reaching the last 16, as one of the top two in the four-team group, while Guangzhou will expect to rubber-stamp its qualification in two weeks’ time against Japan’s Urawa.

Urawa, bidding to avenge last week’s 3-1 reverse to fellow former champion Jeonbuk, got off to a dream start in Jeonju when Daisuke Nasu and Tsukasa Umesaki put them two goals up after just seven minutes.



Jeonbuk gathered its composure but it had a big slice of luck to thank for its first goal, six minutes after the break, when Brazilian midfielder Eninho saw his speculative cross sail over the keeper and into the goal.

And in the dying seconds, former Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-Gook laid off a knock-down in the box for Seo, who side-footed the equaliser which kept Jeonbuk second in Group F behind Guangzhou.



“It was disappointing to lose a goal after 90 minutes, but we fought very well, creating many chances,” said Urawa’s coach Mihailo Petrovic.



“By taking one point from the draw, I think we can get through the group round.” In Guiyang, Mitchell Duke’s penalty put the Mariners in front just before half-time. But goals by Zlatan Muslimovic and Qu Bo in the 84th and 86th minutes grabbed three precious points for Guizhou and denied the Australians their first away win. — Agencies