Arema 1-1 Shandong Luneng

Malang: Arema Indonesia picked up their first point of the 2011 AFC Champions League after Mochamad Fakhrudin's late penalty earned a 1-1 draw against Shandong Luneng.

The visitors had broken the deadlock after just eight minutes at Kanjuruhan Stadium through Obina (Manoel de Brito Filho) but the hosts did not give up and were rewarded just before the final whistle with a penalty that Fakhrudin converted to ensure a share of the spoils.

Arema were without Influential striker Noh Alam Shah and Roman Chmelo, while pacy winger Muhammad Ridhuan and Indonesian international Ahmad Bustomi were left on the bench.

The Crazy Lions desperately needed a positive result to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 but it was Shandong who dominated from the start.

The Chinese side had their first chance in the sixth minute when a shot from Li Wei went well wide but Shandong took the lead just a minute later following an error from Arema goalkeeper Ahmad Kurniawan, who failed to deal with a harmless cross and Brazilian striker Obina was on hand to score.

Arema were presented with a glorious opportunity to level in the 11th minute after Sunarto excellently brought down a long pass in the box but Yongky Bowo's effort was too high.

For a match featuring the two champions of their respective leagues, not much happened in the first-half with both sides content to play direct football, hitting long ball after long ball.

Arema boss Miroslav Janu introduced Syukur Zulkifly and Waluyo for Johan Farizi and Pratomo Purwaka after the break.

Shandong again piled the pressure on Arema and would have doubled their lead if Kurniawan did not stop a thunderous shot from Lebanon international Roda Antar in the 53rd minute.

That shot proved to be the only action in the first 25 minutes of the second-half as both teams failed to create much in the way of chances.

Kurniawan almost made another gaffe in the 82nd minute when he mis-kicked a backpass from Leonard Tupamahu but was fortunate the ball went out for a corner.

Shandong failed to extend their lead after Obina, unmarked in the six-yard box, missed a sitter and the 2005 ACL quarter-finalists paid the price for missing that chance when Arema equalized three minutes into stoppage time.

Iranian referee Alireza Faghani pointed to the spot after Sunarto was fouled in the box by Liu Jindong and Fakhrudin sent Shandong keeper Yang Cheng the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

Shandong had a final chance seconds before final whistle but Kurniawan saved Obina's header from point-blank range.