Oscar helps Shanghai kickstart Asian Champions League campaign

SHANGHAI: Former Brazil playmaker Oscar helped Shanghai Port get their Asian Champions League campaign up and running with a 3-2 win over Australia´s Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday.

Shanghai, who are currently locked in a two-way battle for the Chinese domestic title with city rivals Shanghai Shenhua, had taken only a point from their previous two games. Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar was involved in all three of his side´s goals as they claimed their first win and consigned Mariners to their third defeat in three games.

South Korea´s Gwangju FC stayed top of the East table after beating Malaysia´s Johor Darul Ta´zim (JDT) 3-1. Gwangju, making their debut in the competition, have a perfect nine points from their three games, while JDT have four.

Thailand´s Buriram United leapfrogged JDT into second place after beating South Korea´s Pohang Steelers 1-0. Guilherme Bissoli scored in the 56th minute to give Buriram their second win of the campaign and take them to seven points. Pohang have three.

Japan´s Yokohama F-Marinos, last season´s runners-up, drew 2-2 with China´s Shandong Taishan in the day´s other East game. Oscar, who joined Shanghai from Chelsea in 2017, is one of the few international stars left in Chinese football.

He helped Shanghai take the lead in only the second minute against Mariners when Wu Lei flicked on his corner and Li Ang headed it into the net. The Chinese side, coached by Australian Kevin Muscat, doubled their lead minutes before half-time when Wu redirected Oscar´s shot past 18-year-old goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen.

Mikael Doka brought Mariners back into it with a superb strike in the second half, only for Shanghai to strike again when Oscar teed up Matias Vargas. Nicholas Duarte gave the Chinese side a late scare when he pulled one back for Central Coast in second-half injury time.

There was more late drama elsewhere in China as Shandong salvaged a late draw with Yokohama, in a match of two teams who met in last season´s quarter-finals. Yan Matheus thought he had scored Yokohama´s winner in the 87th minute, only for Zheng Zheng to bundle in an equaliser in injury time.