Evergrande feels heat

Guangzhou has a steep hill to climb after a 4-2 loss to Al Ittihad in first leg

Guangzhou Evergrande remains optimistic about its first adventure in the AFC Champions League despite suffering a major blow in its first leg quarterfinal against Al Ittihad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday.

Chinese clubs have not claimed a single point away to West Asian teams in the league's history, and that spell spilled over to the Chinese league's defending champion and its centerback, Feng Xiaoting, when the Saudi side claimed a 4-2 victory at the Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium.