Six-straight Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC routed Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern FC, 7-0, to open their group stage campaign in the 2017 AFC Champions League in a match held at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou on Wednesday.

Chinese midfielders Wang Shangyuan and Liao Lisheng scored a brace each for head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's side while the team's trio of Brazilians, namely Ricardo Goulart, Alan Carvalho, and Paulinho, each scored a goal in the seven-goal masterpiece.

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Eastern, the Hong Kong top-flight's reigning champions, were a man down early after defender Wong Tsz Ho was sent off in the third minute of the match with a foul inside the penalty area, spoiling the plans of head coach Chan Yuen-ting, who is the first woman manager to handle a professional team in the Champions League, as per the South China Morning Post.

Goulart then converted the ensuing spot kick to open the scoring for the Southern China Tigers before Wang scored his first goal in the 22nd minute to double Evergrande's lead.

Liao made it a 3-0 count in the 33rd minute before a second Eastern player was given a red card a minute later, Fox Sports reported. Hong Kong defender Wong Chi Chung was booked with his second yellow card in the 34th after fouling Alan on the side of the box, putting down Eastern to a nine-man team with lots of time left in the game.

Liao netted his second goal two minutes after the restart, pulling off a six-yard header off a cross by main striker Gao Lin. Alan then pushed the lead to five goals in the 65th minute with a stunning right-footed strike from 25 yards out that went past Hong Kong goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai.

Paulinho joined his fellow Brazilians in the score sheet with a goal in the 83rd minute before Wang sealed the game's final count with his second goal two minutes later.

Guangzhou will next face K League Classic club Suwon Samsung Bluewings on Wednesday at the Suwon World Cup Stadium in South Korea.

TagsAFC Champions League, AFC Champions League 2017, 2017 AFC Champions League group stage, Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao FC, Eastern FC