Following the Reds' 1-0 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the defending champions defeated Shandong Luneng 2-1 to move level with Adelaide with two games remaining.

Kim Jae-sung opened the scoring for Pohang six minutes after the break after converting from close range after Shandong goalkeeper Yang Cheng had saved Alexandro's shot.

Substitute Li Jinyu looked to have earned the home side a point after firing home from inside the area with 17 minutes remaining only for Mota to steal possession from Shandong's Roda Antar and set up Kim to seal the win.

In Group F, J. League champions Kashima Antlers and Korean counterparts Jeonbuk Motors advanced to the last 16 by beating Persipura Jayapura and Changchun Yatai respectively.

Kashima maintained its 100 percent record with a 3-1 win over Indonesia's Persipura at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, while Lee Dong-gook scored in the second half as Jeonbuk edged out China's Changchun 1-0 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium.

Lee Young-pyo's injury-time goal saw leader Al Hilal edge out Al Ahli 3-2 in Group D at Al Rashid Stadium in Dubai.

Having thrown away three points to the same opponent last week following a 1-1 draw in Riyadh, Al Hilal appeared to have repeated its error after squandering a two-goal lead.

But former Tottenham full-back Lee spared the visitors' blushes when he latched on to Mirel Radoi's pass and slid the ball past goalkeeper Yousif Abdulla.

Mes Kerman boosted its hopes of making the last 16 after it came from a goal down to beat Al Sadd 3-1 at Shahid Bahonar Stadium.

Following the 4-1 defeat to the same opponents last week in Qatar, a repeat was seemingly on the cards after Khalfan Ibrahim brought down Hasan Al Haydos' cross and dispatched a curling effort that found the top corner after only seven minutes.

Al Sadd's Tahir Zakariya then saw his close-range finish chalked off for offside six minutes later before Mes levelled eight minutes before the break when Edinho headed home a corner.

The hosts then took the lead immediately after the break when a corner fell kindly into the path of Ali Samareh and he made no mistake from inside the six-yard box.

Paulo Zaltron extended Mes' advantage seven minutes from time when he picked up the ball on the edge of the Al Sadd box and unchallenged, poked home with the outside of his foot.

Al Sadd had the chance to set up a nervous finish after substitute Mohamaed Magid was bundled over just inside the area with six minutes remaining but Leandro's penalty hit the crossbar.

Iran's Zob Ahan took control of Group B after beating 10-man Bunyodkor 1-0 in Tashkent.

Mohammad Reza Khalatbari capitalised on a first-half goalkeeping error from Bunyodkor goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov to establish a three-point lead at the top of the table with two games remaining after Al Ittihad eased to a 4-0 win over Al Wahda to claim second place