After a hard-fought goalless draw at Guangzhou's Tianhe Stadium last month, the visitors knew that scoring first would put them in a strong position due to the away goals rule and five minutes before half-time Anderson Talisca headed home with authority to give the Chinese side a priceless lead.

Kashima came roaring back in the second half, however, and Brazilian forward Serginho restored parity on the night after he re-directed Leo Silva's shot past Zeng. The J.League side laid siege to the Guangzhou goal thereafter, but their backline stood firm as Guangzhou, Continental champions in 2013 and 2015, held out.

With the first leg in Guangzhou having ended scoreless last month, Anderson Talisca’s 40th minute goal proved to be decisive despite Seringho’s equaliser six minutes into the second half as Fabio Cannavaro’s side progressed to the semi-finals.

There they will meet fellow two-time champions Urawa Red Diamonds next month, with the winners meeting either Al Sadd from Qatar or Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in November’s two-legged final.

Oiwa, who led the eight-time J.League champions to their first continental crown last year, watched on as his team exited the competition on the away goals rule after an enthralling clash at Kashima Soccer Stadium.

Anderson Talisca’s first half header was decisive despite Serginho’s 51st minute equaliser as the Guangzhou striker’s away goal proved the difference between the teams after the goalless draw in the first leg last month.

The Chinese Super League leaders advanced to the last four of the competition on the away goals rule thanks to Anderson Talisca’s 40th minute header at Kashima Soccer Stadium as the teams shared a 1-1 draw, both on the night and on aggregate.

And with the first leg at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Stadium having ended in a scoreless draw, the Brazilian’s goal was enough to set up a semi-final clash with two-time winners Urawa Red Diamonds in the next phase of the competition.

A 1-1 draw at Saitama Stadium was enough to earn the two-time champions a place in the last four on the away goals rule after the quarter-final meeting between the sides ended in a 3-3 aggregate draw.

And while Urawa’s two goals in the first leg in Shanghai were key to the victory, Otsuki stressed that the experience shown by the likes of Shusaku Nishikawa and Shinzo Koroki was of vital importance in Reds’ success.

The hosts came into the quarter-final tie at Saitama Stadium with a narrow advantage after a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Shanghai last month, and got off on the front foot in front of their home support, before eventually taking the lead on 39 minutes after Koroki's powerful header ricocheted into the net off Shanghai SIPG goalkeeper Yan Junling.

The forward, who is enjoying his most prolific campaign in the AFC Champions League to date, was on target in the first leg against Shanghai as well as netting a brace against Ulsan Hyundai in the Round of 16.

The result meant the quarter-final tie ended in a 3-3 aggregate draw and, with Urawa scoring twice in Shanghai in the first leg last month, the 2007 and 2017 champions advanced to the next round, where they will face either Kashima Antlers or Guangzhou Evergrande.