While Adelaide remain provisionally second in Group H, it means likely elimination for bottom-placed Gamba after they threw away victory in front of their home fans. In Group G, Kawasaki Frontale rose to provisional second place with a game to go as they upset leaders Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1-0 away to give themselves every chance of reaching the knock-outs.
In Osaka, Gamba - who beat Adelaide in the 2008 final - were ahead after just six minutes when Yasuhito Endo's corner was flicked in at the near post by Shun Nagasawa for a soft goal. Ritsu Doan, 18, made it 2-0 on 12 minutes when he spotted Eugene Galekovic off his line and embarrassed the goalkeeper at his near post from outside the penalty area.
Gamba already looked odds-on for the win. But two minutes from half-time, Sergio Cirio pulled one back for Adelaide after Diawara capitalised on Kim Jung-Ya's slip in defence.= And nine minutes after the break, Senegal's Diawara found Jordan O'Doherty, who fired a spectacular equaliser into the top corner. Michael Marrone's own goal seemed to have sealed Adelaide's fate but the game had a final twist when Diawara rose unchallenged to rescue a point for the visitors.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017