Saulo Mineiro shined brightly for Shanghai Shenhua, netting a sensational hat-trick to secure a 4-2 home victory over a ten-man Vissel Kobe in the AFC Champions League Elite. The win lifts the Chinese Super League side to seventh place in the East division, boosting their chances of advancing to the knockout rounds.
The match started with a bang as Mineiro headed home Gao Tianyi’s corner just 68 seconds after kickoff, giving Shenhua an early lead. Vissel Kobe’s troubles deepened when Powell Obinna was shown a red card in the 7th minute for a reckless challenge on Andre Luis outside the penalty area.
Just before the halftime whistle, Chen Jingyi doubled Shenhua’s advantage with a deflected shot finding the bottom corner, sending the hosts into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The second half saw Mineiro continue his dominance. In the 48th minute, he capitalized on a rebound from Andre Luis’s header, tapping in from close range. He completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute, confidently converting a penalty after Takuya Iwanami handled the ball inside the box.
Despite being down to ten men, Vissel Kobe fought back late in the game. Niina Tominaga scored a stunning goal from the edge of the box in the 87th minute. In stoppage time, Haruya Ide headed in Rikuto Hirose’s free-kick, reducing the deficit. However, it was too little too late for the visitors.
The emphatic win places Shanghai Shenhua firmly in the running for a knockout stage spot, sitting on 10 points and looking to be among the top eight teams in the division.
