Guangzhou Evergrande grabbed a narrow advantage in their AFC Champions League semi-final against Gamba Osaka as a header by Zheng Zhi saw the Chinese league champions come from behind to beat the Japanese treble winners 2-1 in the first leg on Wednesday.

The visitors took a surprise lead when Feng Xiaoting turned a cross by Hiroyuki Abe into his own net after 12 minutes but Huang Bowen put the 2013 Asian champion back on level terms with an exquisite finish 10 minute before half-time.

Zheng was denied by a brilliant save by goalkeeper Masaaki Higashiguchi shortly after the interval but the Evergrande captain made no mistake with a powerful header just seconds later to give his side a narrow lead to take into the return match in Japan on October 21.

The winners will advance to a meeting in the final against either Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia or Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates, who drew 1-1 in the first leg of their semi-final in Riyadh on Tuesday.

Gamba, who won the tournament in 2008, entered the match on an eight-game unbeaten run and they began brightly at Guangzhou Tianhe Sport Center with Takashi Usami having a shot deflected wide after nine minutes before they took a fortuitous lead three minutes later.

Abe surged down the right wing and sent in a dangerous cross that glanced off the shoulder of Feng as he came under pressure from Brazilian striker Patric and found the bottom corner of the Guangzhou net.

The Japanese side could have extended their advantage as Patric and Shu Kurata both went close, but the hosts turned up the pressure and equalised with a brilliant effort by Huang in the 35th minute.

The Chinese international timed his run brilliantly to get on the end of a lofted pass by Paulinho and with the ball dropping over his shoulder, swivelled and fired a half-volley past a helpless Higashiguchi.

The Gamba goalkeeper kept his side on level terms by turning aside a shot by Paulinho shortly after Huang's goal and making a fine reflex save to keep out a header by Zheng in the 57th minute.

But Guangzhou took the lead just seconds later when Elkeson's cross from the left was met by Zheng, whose rose above the Gamba defence to send an unstoppable header past Higashiguhci.

The home side were unable to turn their dominance into further goals leaving both teams with plenty still to play for in the second leg at Expo '70 Stadium.