A spectacular last-minute strike from Shandong Luneng's Hao Junmin dumped 10-man Sydney FC out of the 2016 AFC Champions League on a dramatic Wednesday evening at Sydney Football Stadium with the Australians seconds away from the quarterfinals.
The substitute scored with a 25-yard effort to give the Chinese Super League team a 2-2 draw in the second leg and a 3-3 tie on aggregate to go through on away goals. It was a relief for Shandong's star striker Diego Tardelli who missed a late penalty after Zac Anderson had been sent off for the hosts.
Sydney scored early in both halves to put the pressure on their Chinese visitors. Brandon O'Neill grabbed the first and after Walter Montillo had equalised for Shandong, Rhyan Grant restored the hosts' advantage.
It was the best of starts for the hosts who were ahead in the second minute thanks to a free kick awarded on Sydney's left, just outside the area. O'Neill swung the ball in and the Chinese defence allowed the ball to bounce in the six-yard area, off the far post and into the net.
The visitors took just 10 minutes to level proceedings. Tardelli caused problems for Sydney on the left side and his pull back into a crowded area found Montillo, who sent a first-time shot outside the diving hand of Vedran Janjetovic and into the bottom corner.
The game settled down somewhat but 10 minutes before the break, it was Tardelli again, who broke free of the Sydney backline to advance on goal. Letting fly from just inside the area with a low shot, this time the goalkeeper was equal to the task and made the save.
After a bad-tempered end to the first half, Sydney started the second in aggressive fashion and were ahead inside a minute. Milos Ninkovic chested the ball down outside the area and smartly lifted the ball over the Chinese defence to the right corner of the area.
There was still plenty for Grant to do and he slammed a half-volley across the diving Wang Dalei and into the far corner of the Shandong goal.
Seven minutes later, the three-time Chinese champions were left wondering how they were not back on level terms. after Montillo's cross was met firmly by Jucilei. His header looked destined for the top left corner of Sydney's goal but Janjetovic somehow clawed the ball away for safety.
It almost all went wrong for Sydney with 15 minutes remaining. Janjetovic came and missed a cross from the left and Zac Anderson was left holding back Yang Xu to stop the substitute poking the loose ball home from a yard out. The defender was red carded.
Yet, just as in the first leg, the goalkeeper saved Tardelli's penalty though this time, the rebound fell to the feet of the Brazilian who somehow sent his follow-up against the crossbar.
It all looked over for Shandong until the 90th minute when Hao, given space to shoot from outside the area, sent a dipping shot over the desperate hands of Janjetovic.
There was even more drama in the evening's other fixture as FC Seoul became the second South Korean team to move into the last eight, defeating Urawa Reds of Japan 7-6 on penalties after their tie ended 3-3 on aggregate in the Korean capital.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Japan, a first-half goal from Dejan Damjanovic took the tie into extra time when strike partner Adriano put Seoul ahead with his 11th goal of the tournament.
Two late strikes from Tadanari Lee seemed to put the Reds through, only for Go Yo Han's last-second shot from outside the area to take the teams into a penalty shootout when Kim Dong-woo converted the decisive kick.