SUZHOU, China, Oct.29 (Xinhua) -- Jiangsu Suning was held 1-1 by 10-man Shanghai SIPG in the first leg of their Chinese Super League semifinal tie here on Thursday.
With Alex Teixeira free from suspension, Jiangsu benched the scorer in last game Ivan Santini, while Hulk led SIPG's forward line with U23 player Chen Wei standing between the sticks.
Both teams failed to create real chances, but the game turned intense after the interval.
Hulk's free kick from a tight angle forced a one-handed save out of Suning's goalkeeper Gu Chao four minutes into the second half.
Jiangsu broke the deadlock in the 54th minute through a counterattack as Eder Martins's smart pass allowed Alex Teixeira to spring the offside trap to loop over an on-rushing Chen Wei.
SIPG's situation got worse in the 69th minute as Mirahmetjan Muzepper saw red after a awful challenge on Zhang Cheng.
The red card must have inspired SIPG as the 2018 CSL winner got back on level terms with a stroke of luck in the 80th minute as Lv Wenjun forced an own goal from Zhang.
SIPG was increasingly pegged back after the leveler, while Jiangsu was toothless to restore the lead.
The return leg for Jiangsu and SIPG is set for November 2.
The 16 CSL sides were split into two groups in the first phase between July 22 and September 28, playing in a round-robin format in Dalian and Suzhou.
The top four teams from each group in the first phase gathered in Suzhou to vie for the title between October 16 and November 12. The remaining eight teams will fight in the relegation group in Dalian. Enditem
