Besart Berisha netted a penalty with 17 minutes remaining as Australia’s Melbourne Victory kicked off their 2016 AFC Champions League campaign with a win after defeating China’s Shanghai SIPG 2-1 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Wednesday
AFC Champions League debutant Jai Ingham had given Melbourne the lead against the run of the play after 31 minutes only for Wu Lei to equalise for Sven Goran Eriksson’s Shanghai at the start of the second half.
And despite Shanghai creating the better of opportunities during the course of the game, Berisha converted from the penalty spot with less than 20 minute remaining as Kevin Muscat’s Melbourne secured the perfect start to life in Group G.
“All-in-all very pleased. I thought I was a bright start from us. I thought we started the game very well. The application was to put them under a little bit of pressure; we forced them to get the ball forward very quickly, majority of the time I thought we dealt with that very well and the game evened out I suppose,” said Melbourne coach Muscat.
“We scored a good goal and then we created a good chance and played some good football early in the second half – after five minutes where Jason (Geria) gets through. It was excellent play down the right-hand-side. You go 2-0 up there and the game is a little bit different, but having said that we were up against a good opponent tonight, a very strong team which makes the result even more pleasing.”
With Korea Republic’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Japan’s Gamba Osaka also drawn in Group G, Melbourne goalkeeper Daniel Vukovic was tested on a number of occasions throughout the first half as the visitor’s started brightly.
The custodian twice denied 2013 AFC Champions League winner Dario Conca before pulling off a fine low save to foil stand-in-captain Wang Shenchao.
Argentinean Conca then thought he had had scored, but his free-kick was deflected into the side-netting before two-time AFC Champions League winner Elkeson tried his hand at goal from range.
However, despite being restricted to only a few chances, Melbourne struck after 31 minutes to take the lead as Ingham cut inside onto his right foot before firing his shot into the back of the net via Yan Junling’s outstretched hand to finish off a swift counterattack from the home side.
The goal ignited further life into Melbourne as the home side pressed forward for a second as
Berisha and Archie Thompson combined well before Kosta Barbarouses skewed his attempt wide from 18 yards after the break having been teed up by Jason Geria.
And with Shanghai chasing the game and Melbourne pressing for a second, the game opened up in the second half resulting in the visitors netting an equaliser as Wu snuck his back post finish from Elkeson’s cross between goalkeeper Vukovic and the upright.
But Melbourne restored the lead soon after as Barbourses was adjudicated to have been bought down just inside the edge of the area and Berisha fired the resulting penalty into the bottom corner.
With the penalty resulting in a frantic finish to the contest, substitute Connor Pain then had the chance to seal the win for Melbourne with three minutes remaining but saw his strike hit the post.
And moments later Conca almost equalised for Shanghai after cutting inside on his left foot, but his effort from 20 yards also cannoned off the upright.
“It was a good football match first of all and I don’t think we deserved to lose if you look at the way we played football,” said Shanghai coach Eriksson.
“They were very good in the first 15 minutes of the game, but then we came into it and created a lot of chances - we scored the second goal.
“My opinion is we didn’t deserve to lose this game, but it was a very good football match and they have a good team so congratulations.
“Five games to go, and if we go on playing like this, I think we will play better and better because the conditions will be better and better as well. We have to take points somewhere else.
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