Andre Villas-Boas wants Shanghai SIPG to keep CmpionLeague f
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Andre Villas-Boas wants Shanghai SIPG to keep Champions League focus
Andre Villas-Boas will not allow Shanghai SIPG to relax in their final Asian Champions League group match in two weeks time, despite seeing his side book their place in the round of 16 of the competition on Wednesday with a4-2 victoryover FC Seoul.
The win -- courtesy of goals from Hulk, Zheng Wei, Wu Lei and Oscar -- ensured SIPG will finish in the top two in their group, but Villas-Boas wants his team to seal top spot ahead of the knockout phase.
SIPG are currently in second place behind Urawa Red Diamonds, who are also on 12 points but top the group due to a better head-to-head record from the two games played between the teams earlier in the competition.
As a result, SIPG will have to defeat Western Sydney Wanderers in their final game on May 10 and hope Urawa do not pick up maximum points against FC Seoul who, like Wanderers, are already eliminated.
We want to qualify as winner of the group because if we qualify in second we have to play our home game first and that wont be good, Villas-Boas said. We have a very tight schedule in May so we want to win the group.
SIPG were given an early scare when Seoul striker Maurinho put the visitors in front after just 10 minutes, but a long-range strike from Hulk pulled the Chinese Super League side level, before goals from Zheng Wei and Wu Lei gave the home side a 3-1 advantage at half-time.
Park Chu-Young scored with 20 minutes remaining to give Seoul a glimmer of hope in a game they had to win to maintain any chance of advancing to the round of 16, but Oscar extinguished those hopes just two minutes later.
This was a very entertaining game, Villas-Boas said. Even though we conceded at the beginning we stayed composed and managed to come back. Individually and as a team we were very good.
Every player gave everything they had and we nailed down a qualifying spot from a difficult group. It is a great achievement and a reward for our efforts and encouragement.
SIPG are the second Chinese side to secure their place in the next round after Jiangsu Suning became the first team in the competition to advance two weeks ago after kicking off their campaign with four straight wins.
Two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande will have to wait until the final matchday, when they face Suwon Bluewings, to confirm their place in the knockout rounds, despite handing Hong Kongs Eastern SC a 6-0 thrashing on Tuesday.