JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - J-League side Vissel Kobe edged past Qatar's Al Sadd 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw to book their place in the semifinals of the Asian Champions League Elite on Thursday.
Former Newcastle forward Yoshinori Muto scored a last-minute leveler to force extra time at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where all the matches from the quarterfinals onward are held through April 25.
Seeking their first continental title, Michael Skibbe-led Kobe overcame Roberto Mancini's side to advance to their semifinal on Monday when they will take on either Al Ahly of Saudi Arabia or Johor Darul Ta'zim of Malaysia.
"They were wonderful, tough opponents who were technically superior to us, and I'm happy to have beaten them," Muto said. "There was heat to deal with and my legs were cramping, but I couldn't let the game end at any cost and the desire not to give up produced the goal."
Al Sadd took the lead on a sixth-minute counter with Rafa Mujica burying his shot into the right bottom corner, while Yuya Osako leveled with a 24th-minute diving header before another header from the former Japan forward came off the bar 10 minutes later.
Former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino chested the ball down to set up Mujica's 61st-minute volley to restore Al Sadd's lead and they were 3-1 up four minutes later when the Spaniard returned the favor with a cross that was also volleyed in by the Brazilian.
But Yosuke Ideguchi gave Kobe a lifeline with a low 74th-minute strike into the left corner from inside the box, and Muto grabbed a dramatic equalizer in the final minute of the second-half stoppage time by squeezing home a header off Rikuto Hirose's right-wing cross.
After Kobe keeper Daiya Maekawa produced fine saves to deny Javairo Dilrosun's header and Akram Afif's strike in extra time, Al Sadd's third taker in the shootout, Claudinho, blasted over before Jean Patric struck to seal the deal.
