SUZHOU, China, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Shandong Luneng stormed into the Chinese Football Association (CFA) Cup finals with a 1-0 win over Wuhan Zall here on Sunday.
Smashing Wuhan 5-0 in the first leg, Shandong already had one foot in the CFA Cup final before the game and continued their attacking prowess, while Wuhan sat deep with men behind the ball.
Despite Shandong dominating possession and attacking frequently, the first half remained goalless. In the 13th minute, Shandong's Liu Yang tried to slot home but hit the woodwork. Liu's teammate, Moises Lima Magalhaes, headed the ball in the penalty area in the 37th minute, but he too was denied by the goalpost. Seven minutes later, Shandong posed yet another threat, but Zall's goalkeeper Dong Hengyi was equal to the effort.
In the 54th minute, Italian forward Graziano Pelle thought he had broken the deadlock for Shandong, but a quick VAR review disallowed it. In the 72nd minute, former Manchester United player Marouane Fellaini finally scored the decisive goal to help Shandong advance to the CFA Cup finals.
Shandong will compete with Jiangsu Suning, winners of the 2020 Chinese Super League, on December 19, in the finals. Enditem
