Lopes powers Jeonbuk towards last 16, Kashima suffer shock defeat

But reigning Asian champions Kashima Antlers slumped to a shock 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Gyeongnam FC on a great night for South Korean sides in the continental club championship.

Jeonbuk recorded a sixth consecutive win against Japanese opposition, 2-1 against Urawa Red Diamonds, to leave them comfortably atop Group G on nine points with two games to go.

Lopes struck in the 12th minute, capitalising on a defensive error to lash an unstoppable right-foot rocket into the bottom corner.

He turned provider just after half-time, crossing from the left for giant striker Kim Shin-wook to head home at the near post.

A missed clearance by captain Hong Jeong-ho allowed Shinzo Koroki to pull one back against the run of play in the 58th minute, but Jeonbuk survived a nervy finale to take all three points in the top-of-the-table clash.

With Beijing Guoan playing Thailand's Buriram United in the later game, Jeonbuk need just one win from either of their last two matches -- away to Beijing and home to minnows Buriram -- to reach the knockout stages.

Meanwhile Japan's Kashima looked a shadow of the side that became Asian champions last year as they were beaten 1-0 at home by Gyeongnam to leave Group E wide open.

Two weeks ago the 2018 AFC Champions League winners had needed stoppage-time goals from Takeshi Kanamori and Serginho to claim a 3-2 victory over Gyeongnam after having been 2-0 down and reduced to 10 men.

But there was no repeat of those heroics as they struggled to cope without the suspended defensive duo of Tomoya Inukai and Koki Machida.

And it was Gyeongnam gave themselves a qualification lifeline with a first win of the campaign courtesy of Takahiro Kunimoto who latched onto Jordon Mutch's deep cross in the 63rd minute.

The defeat means Kashima remain top of Group E -- for a couple of hours at least -- on seven points, two ahead of Gyeongnam, but the Japan side can be leapfrogged by China's Shandong Luneng if they beat Johor Darul Tazim in the group's late game in Malaysia