Kashiwa Reysol completed a comprehensive 5-2 aggregate rout of 2006 winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to reach the AFC Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The Emperor’s Cup-holders, with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg of their last 16 clash, came back from a goal down to win 3-2 in the return game, the sixth victory of what has been an impressive campaign so far.
The result maintains Japanese interest in the competition and with the loss of Jeonbuk, the only former winners still standing, it ensures the 10th different champion in 11 editions of the Asian tournament.
But Kashiwa, who had finished seven points clear and unbeaten in Group H to reach the knock-out stages, must now wait until August for the quarter-finals as the competition takes a break for the harsh Middle East summer.
Kashiwa had their hearts in their mouths when defender Tatsuya Masushima put the ball in his own net on 22 minutes. But Hirofumi Watanabe connected with an inviting Jorge Wagner cross to restore parity just before half-time.
Wagner was on target six minutes after the break, and Kashiwa were all but there when Masato Kudo fired in a low shot to make it 3-1 on 69 minutes.
Kevin Oris grabbed a late consolation for the visitors but Jeonbuk, who were also runners-up to Al Sadd two years ago, finished the tie well beaten.
Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande are in action against Australia’s Central Coast Mariners among Wednesday’s later games, which will decide the tournament’s last three quarter-finalists.
Kashiwa knock out ex-AFC champs Jeonbuk
