Urawa Reds hung on grimly for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their AFC Champions League final against Iran's Sepahan on Wednesday evening in Esfahan.
Robson Ponte scored a speculative screamer on the stroke of halftime to put the visitors ahead in a first half they fairly dominated, but Sepahan came roaring back after the break as the Reds defense disintegrated after Mahmoud Karimi equalized from close range at the beginning of the second period.
The Iranians fully deserved a victory after a Jekyll and Hyde performance from Urawa and the Saitama giants were lucky to come out with a valuable away goal and draw.