Shandong Luneng held Saudi side Al Ittihad to a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's Asian Champions League quarter-final clash at Shandong Sports Centre Stadium in Jinan.

The result is a good omen for Iordanescu's side, who recorded the same result against Dalian Shide last year on their way to the semi-finals.

Captains Mohammed Noor and Li Xiaopeng grabbed the goals in a tie which sees Ittihad go into the return leg with a valuable away goal.

Noor, who played in last season's ACL final, put Ittihad in front three minutes after the break with a looping header before Li sent his well-taken free kick through the wall and past Zaid to bring the teams level.

Sierra Leone forward Mohamed Kallon had a chance to seal a first-leg victory for the visitors late on but the ex-Monaco and Inter player was denied by Shandong shotstopper Yang Cheng.

Quarter-final first leg result:
Shandong Luneng 1-1 Al Ittihad
Scorers: Mohammed Noor 48', Li Xiaopeng 56'

Shandong Luneng: Yang Cheng; Wang Chao (Xuan Weiwei 76), Shu Chang, Predrag Pazin, Jiao Zhe; Li Xiaopeng, Zheng Zhi, Gao Yao, Zhou Haibin (Song Lihui 80); Han Peng, Ionel Danciulescu (Cui Peng 61')

(Sinosoc.com September 15, 2005)