Mu Kanazaki's injury-time strike gave Kashima Antlers a precious 2-1 win and put Western Sydney Wanderers' AFC Champions League title defence in serious doubt on Tuesday.

On a blustery night in Parramatta, the Japanese forward scored in the 91st minute to complete a come-from-behind victory and hand his team a lifeline in the competition.

While Kashima climb off the foot of Group H with one game to go, defending champions Western Sydney now have it all to do in next week's clash with top side Guangzhou Evergrande.

The Wanderers won the competition in a fairytale debut last year and they seemed to have kept their unconvincing title defence alive with Nikita Rukavystya's strike on 24 minutes.

Yojiro Takahagi's pass squirmed through defender Ueda Naomichi and into the path of the forward, who knocked in his first goal of the tournament.

Kashima nearly found an immediate riposte and the Wanderers had their 'keeper Ante Covic to thank when he repeatedly kept out the rampant visitors from close range.

But Covic had no chance on 66 minutes when Doi Shoma checked back on to his left foot and curled home a priceless equaliser which kept Kashima in the competition.

Kashima kept on coming and they had their reward when Kanazaki converted Shuto Yamamoto's penetrating cross in the first minute of injury time.

With just one round of group games left, the result leaves Australia's Wanderers bottom of Group H ahead of FC Seoul's later kick-off against 2013 winners Guangzhou.