Wanderers expect a tough encounter in Guangzhou

Western Sydney Wanderers manager Tony Popovic has warned his players to expect another highly-charged Asian Champions League encounter with holder Guangzhou Evergrande in their quarterfinal, second leg next week.

Wanderers will travel to China with a slim 1-0 advantage from Wednesday's first leg, which ended in mayhem when Guangzhou coach Marcello Lippi went on the pitch to remonstrate after two of his players were shown red cards in the final few minutes.

Lippi is now likely to face disciplinary action but regardless of whether the Italian is on the touchline next Wednesday, Popovic expects the Chinese champion to be fired up in front of a big crowd at Tianhe Stadium.

"There is no one getting carried away in our dressing room. We have a slight advantage but we are just in front at halftime," the Australian said after the game.

"We anticipate a really difficult game, but they go home knowing they anticipate a difficult game as well.

"We respect them certainly, because we have seen what they have done to opponents in their league and also in the Champions League.

"It's a big match, emotions will be high, we have to keep our emotions in check and make sure we do our talking on the pitch."

Lippi's pitch invasion took the spotlight off another remarkable upset for the Wanderers, who were founded only two years ago and have already beaten 2012 Asian champion Ulsan Hyundai and J. League champion Sanfrecce Hiroshima this year.

Lippi's rage at the dismissals of Gao Lin and Zhang Linpeng continued into his media conference, where he launched broadsides at Emirati referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed as well as the home side for play-acting.

Having taken no questions, he made just one comment on the balance of the tie as he left the news conference room.

"To talk of the match in itself," the World Cup-winning former Italy coach said.

"We have the second leg at home and let's see what happens next Wednesday."

(China Daily 08/22/2014 page24)