Wanderers' ACL title defence over

Reigning champions Western Sydney have been heartbreakingly knocked out of the Asian Champions League despite beating Chinese powerhouses Guangzhou Evergrande 2-0 on a rain-soaked night in China.

Victory was only part of the equation.

The Wanderers also needed the other match in their group being played simultaneously between Kashima Antlers and FC Seoul to end in a draw to secure second spot behind leaders Guangzhou and clinch a knock-out berth.

With the Wanderers ahead and the other clash level at 2-2 with just 12 minutes remaining, things appeared to be falling into place for the Wanderers with their title hopes on a knife edge.

But Mauricio Molina’s injury-time winner for Seoul would end the Wanderers’ chances in the most dramatic fashion and render Mark Bridge’s and Tomi Juric’s goals irrelevant.

The Wanderers now finish the group in third place, a point behind Seoul who progress instead.

It was hardly the most entertaining match with the heavily waterlogged pitch at Guangzhou Tianhe Sport Centre impeding any chance of a free-flowing encounter.

But the Wanderers managed to deliver their end of their bargain, beating the 2013 ACL champions Guangzhou, who’ve won the last four Chinese Super League titles and are coached by Italian World Cup-winner Fabio Cannavaro.

Having already secured passage to the next round as group leaders, Cannavaro left out dangerous Brazilian duo Elkeson and Ricardo Goulart along with Chinese international Gao Lin.

The Wanderers had their own exclusions with striker Kerem Bulut, defender Yusuke Tanaka and midfielder Kearyn Baccus all suspended.

Nikita Rukavytsya had the Wanderers’ first chance in the opening 20 minutes, trying his luck from a difficult angle but just missing.

The hosts had several forays into attack with Zhao Xuri and Hung Bowen both threatening.

But it was Bridge who would break the deadlock, launching onto a lose ball in the box to nutmeg Feng Xiaoting and put the Wanderers ahead in the 33rd minute.

Guangzhou came out firing in the second half but the Wanderers matched their pressure with Iacopo La Rocca putting keeper Li Shuai to work with a long-range missile.

Romeo Castalan drew another save from Shuai with a blistering strike just after the hour mark.

Sensing the match slipping Cannavaro brought on prolific goal-scorer Elkeson and Goulart, who inflicted a hat-trick on the Wanderers in their 3-2 win last time the sides met, with less than half an hour remaining.

But Elkeson would last less than 10 minutes leaving the pitch with a hamstring complaint, with the Wanderers able to keep Goulart quiet.

Yojiro Takahagi hit the post late with Juric attempting a strike in the dying minutes.

The Socceroos striker would break through in injury time with a sensational finish.