BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian striker Alan Carvalho scored twice in the second half to help Guangzhou Evergrande beat the visiting side Cerezo Osaka from Japan 3-1 in a Group G game, final round of the AFC Champions League group stage on Tuesday night.
After this game, Guangzhou Evergrande remained unbeaten in this group, earning 12 points and place the first to progress to the knock-out stage of the AFC Champions League, while Buriram United from Thailand managed a 1-0 win over home team Jeju United from South Korea and secured another place in the knock-out stage.
Huang Bowen broke the deadlock for Guangzhou Evergrande early in the fifth minute, as the 30-year-old midfielder received the pass from Li Xuepeng, got away from defenders in the penalty area and scored the opening goal.
Cerezo Osaka responded with an equalizer only four minutes later, when midfielder Takaki Fukumitsu beat the goalkeeper and equalized in a one-on-one situation. They could have taken the lead before half time, but South Korean striker Yang Dong-Hyun's header hit the bar in the 43rd minute.
In the 56th minute, Alan Carvalho made it 2-1 for Guangzhou Evergrande when he smashed the ball into the net a few yards away from goalkeeper, before he scored another goal and sealed victory for the home team in the 86th minute.
In another final round game, visiting team Shanghai Greenland Shenhua tied 0-0 with Sydney FC. Shanghai was unable to win even one game in six matches and rank the last in Group H.
