Victory lets two-goal lead slip

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NEW signing Alessandro Diamanti starred with two magical strikes as AFC Champions League title-holders Guangzhou Evergrande fought back from two goals down to beat Melbourne Victory 4-2.

In a dream debut, the 30-year-old Italian international inspired a rousing second-half comeback as the Marcello Lippi-led Chinese champions opened their trophy defence in style.

The departure of influential midfielder Dario Conca had raised questions about Guangzhou but his replacement, Diamanti, quickly settled those doubts with a memorable performance at a packed Tianhe stadium.

First-half goals from Pablo Contreras and Leigh Broxham threatened a huge upset in Group G but after the break, Guangzhou scored four sparkling goals in 26 minutes through Huang Bowen, Elkeson and Diamanti.

Alessandro Diamanti of Guangzhou Evergrande celebrates his goal. Source: Getty Images

Both sides had early chances with Victory's Mark Milligan and Guangzhou Evergrande forcing top-drawer saves at opposite ends of the pitch around the quarter-hour mark.

Victory got their opener on 36 minutes, when a Jesse Makarounas free-kick from the left was poorly dealt with, Kosta Barbarouses fired in a shot and Contreras tapped in the rebound.

The goal stunned Guangzhou and their massed ranks of red-clad fans, but there was worse to come just five minutes later - and again from the delivery of Makarounas, also from the left but this time from a corner.

Again the high ball was not cleared and Broxham was perfectly placed to lash home a superbly controlled volley from the edge of the box and give the visitors a shock 2-0 lead at half-time.

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However, Lippi's men returned from the break fired up and a dipping Diamanti free-kick drew a diving header off the line from Contreras.

Diamanti had a hand in Guangzhou's first goal when he fed Luo Jiacheng for a cross which was emphatically volleyed into the net by Huang, a goal which was every bit the equal of Broxham's strike earlier.

And the Italian made it 2-2 when, after timid defensive work from Victory's Adama Traore, he turned and hammered a fierce shot on his favoured left foot past static goalkeeper Nathan Coe.

Brazilian striker Elkeson put the champions 3-2 ahead when he brilliantly controlled a long, high ball from the halfway line on hisu's first goal when he fed Luo Jiacheng for a cross which was emphatically volleyed into the net by Huang, a goal which was every bit the equal of Broxham's strike earlier.

And the Italian made it 2-2 when, after timid defensive work from Victory's Adama Traore, he turned and hammered a fierce shot on his favoured left foot past static goalkeeper Nathan Coe.

Brazilian striker Elkeson put the champions 3-2 ahead when he brilliantly controlled a long, high ball from the halfway line on his chest and squirmed a low shot through the legs of Nicholas Ansell.

Victory looked a beaten team but Diamanti made sure of the win when he effortlessly shimmied past Contreras and prodded a pinpoint strike inside the far post with the toe of his left boot.

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ACL RESULTS

Group G

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR) 3 (Lee Seun-Gi 60, 68, Leonardo 70) Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN) 0

Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN) 4 (Huang Bowen 59, Alessandro Diamanti 65, 85, Elkeson 71) Melbourne Victory (AUS) 2 (Pablo Contreras 36, Leigh Broxham 41)

Group H

Western Sydney Wanderers (AUS) 1 (Brendon Santalab 1) Ulsan Hyundai (KOR) 3 (Kim Shin-Wook 35, Ko Chang-Hyun 43, Kang Min-Soo 66)

Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 1 (Renato 31) Guizhou Renhe (CHN) 0

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