Zhang Linpeng (left) of Guangzhou Evergrande challenges Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich in Morocco on Tuesday. Photo: CFP

Chinese media and fans said Wednesday the 3-0 defeat by European Champions Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday was no humiliation for Guangzhou Evergrande, the newly crowned Asian Champions League victors.

As most people expected, Bayern dominated from the very beginning of the match in Morocco. But with hard work and some luck, Evergrande ­managed to keep a clean sheet for 40 minutes. After teammates hit the woodwork twice, Franck Ribery and Mario Mandzukic both scored for Bayern shortly before halftime. Mario Goetze added a third after the second half had barely started. Although Bayern hit the woodwork three more times afterward, Evergrande defended heroically to keep the score respectable.

Compared with the 27 shots Bayern delivered, Evergrande just managed to shoot a poor two times.

"There's a giant gap between the two sides. Evergrande have tried their best," said a report on sina.com.

"Bayern's overwhelming victory handed Evergrande probably their most impotent 90 minutes since ­being founded," the Xinhua News Agency said. "But Marcello Lippi's men do not need to be discouraged. There's a great gap between European champions and Asian champions. A thorough defeat is nothing more than normal."

The Xinhua report also gave its advice on how to bridge the gap.

"With the best native players, top-level foreign players and a world-class coach, Evergrande have reached an unreachable level [in China and Asia]," the news agency said.

"However, if they want to make more progress in the future and bridge the gap between themselves and European clubs, the Chinese champions have to rely on the development of Chinese domestic players. But now it seems there's still a long way to go."

"Miracles did not occur, but they have tried their best," the People's Daily said on its Sina Weibo account. "Anyway, this night has been written into the Chinese soccer history book."

"The South American trio are ­almighty in China and Asia, but still they could hardly have any influence on a European team like Bayern," one Sina Weibo user said of Evergrande's Dario Conca, Elkeson and Muriqui, the three South American players who are the most important factors for Evergrande's success in China and Asia.

Another Web user said, "Even a lot of European clubs would consider a 3-0 defeat to Bayern acceptable, let alone ­Evergrande, an Asian team."

But some thought Evergrande were lucky not to take a more thorough drubbing.

"It could have been 8-0," a fan wrote on the five ­Bayern shots that hit the woodwork. "If it were 8-0, that would have been ­humiliating."

"Losing 3-0 is not an expensive price for the class," said the Changsha-based ­Titan Sports newspaper. "That is by no means the real difference between Asian and European champions. Evergrande players were taught a really good lesson.

"The only significance is that we got a chance to play one of the world's best teams. There's barely anything we can learn through the 90 minutes. It's just an eye-opener. Evergrande players can feel the real difference between them and the world's top-level soccer."

Evergrande are the first Chinese team to play at the Club World Cup. They ­defeated Egypt's Al Ahly, the champions of Africa, 2-0 in the quarterfinals to earn a chance of facing the European champions. They will next play in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

Global Times