TOKYO: Paulinho scored a stunning free-kick from 40 metres as Luiz Felipe Scolari's Guangzhou Evergrande thumped Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 to put one foot in the AFC Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday.
An early own goal by Kashiwa captain Daisuke Suzuki put the visitors ahead before the wonder-strike from Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, signed from Tottenham Hotspur in June.
Gao Lin extended Guangzhou's advantage with a towering header early in the second half before Masato Kudo cut the deficit with a close-range effort late in the game.
But barring a miraculous turnaround in the quarter-final's second leg in China on September 15, Guangzhou will go into a last-four clash against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors or Gamba Osaka.
Scolari was hired by the Chinese champions in June, looking for a new start a year after he led Brazil to their humiliating 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany.
Guangzhou won 4-1 at Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium in the semi-finals two years ago, en route to lifting their first continental title, and they got an early boost when Suzuki deflected Huang Bowen's free-kick past goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno after only five minutes.
Scolari's side dominated proceedings in the opening half and they duly increased their lead five minutes before half-time when Paulinho scorched his free-kick into the top corner past a static Sugeno.
Guangzhou appeared to put the tie to bed in the 58th minute when Huang swung in a cross from the left and his Chinese international team-mate Gao rose above the Kashiwa defence to head the ball home.
Kashiwa struggled to create chances but Kudo gave them some hope when he bundled the ball into the net in the 89th minute after Suzuki had dived low to flick a corner across the goalmouth.
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