The win meant Red Angel topped Group A with seven points, two better than UAE’ Abu Dhabi Country Club with Wuhan Jiangda now reliant on results elsewhere to see if they can progress as one of the two best third-placed finishers.
Red Angels were the early aggressors with multiple attempts before the 20 minute mark. Seo Ji-youn, starting her first game, had a shot from the edge of the box going slightly wide before a fierce drive from a closer distance forced Ding Xuan to tip the ball onto the bar.
The Korean side went even closer from a corner kick in the 18th minute when Tereza Engesha met Yoko Tanaka’s delivery with a downward header that needed Ding to dive low to her left to push the ball away.
Wuhan Jiangda grew into the game and were denied by the woodwork in the 38th minute after Kabange Mupopo cut in from the right before seeing her shot crash against the bar.
However, it was Red Angels who would go into the break with the advantage when Tia N’Rehy’s low cross from the right flank found the surging Tanaka at the back post who swept the ball home.
The first 15 minutes of the second half saw the Red Angels opting to sit back as they comfortably kept Wuhan Jiangda at bay.
That forced Wuhan Jiangda head coach Chang Weiwei to make two changes on the hour mark, sending on Dai Chenying and Song Fei to try and change the game in the home side’s favour.
However, Red Angel struck again in the 79th minute to kill the tie as a contest when Engesha escaped her marker to strike the ball home from a Kim Seong-mi cross to seal their place in the last eight.
