Shenhua raises sights

Shanghai Shenhua head coach Seigo Batista has lifted the club's target from staying in the league to claiming an AFC Champions League berth after the troubled side stunningly defeated league frontrunner Shandong Luneng, 2-1.

The win was Shenhua's first at home this CSL season and Luneng's first loss.

"The three points mean a lot. They bring us lots of confidence our target is no longer only to stay in the league, but to qualify for the Champions League," Batista said.

Shenhua's foreign players, Colombian midfielder Giovanni Moreno, Argentine halfback Rolando Schiavi and Argentine midfielder Patricio Toranzo, who went on strike due to a payment dispute and missed two games, have returned to the field after receiving their salaries. However, the club's contentious shareholder dispute is yet to be resolved.