Urawa Reds took a significant step toward qualifying for the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chinese defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande on Tuesday night.
Yuki Muto headed home the opener early in the second half in front of a crowd of over 30,000 and that proved to be enough to secure a vital three points and move Reds into second place in Group H.
The result leaves Reds with seven points from four games, with Guangzhou on two and facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge to advance. Sydney FC remained top of the group with nine points thanks to a 1-0 win at home to South Korea's Pohang Steelers (four).