Former winners Gamba Osaka finally won their first game of the season at the seventh attempt Tuesday as Japanese clubs ran riot in the AFC Champions League.
Gamba, who had gone six J-League and Champions League games without a win and dumped their coach last week, were aided by two second-half penalties as they overcame Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor 3-1 in Group E.
Later fellow J-Leaguers Nagoya Grampus stormed to the top of Group G at the halfway stage with an emphatic 3-0 away win over China's Tianjin Teda.
South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, the 2010 champions, were held 1-1 by Australia's Central Coast Mariners and Pohang Steelers caught Adelaide United at the top of Group E courtesy of an own goal in their 1-0 win.
Gamba had halted a five-match losing streak with a 1-1 domestic draw at the weekend, and they continued their revival under club legend Masanobu Matsunami with a convincing win at home.
Captain and Japan international Yasuhito Endo put the 2008 champions ahead with a scorching strike on 14 minutes and Brazilian striker Rafinha made the game safe with his double from the spot.
Uzbekistan's Anvarjon Soliev scored a late consolation for the visitors on 88 minutes.
"This is our first win and I am delighted," said Matsunami. "The players have had to adapt to change and were under pressure but they tried to play Gamba's style until the end.
"It was not just the players on the pitch, though, all the club staff deserves credit."
Gamba remain bottom of Group E on goal difference but just three points shy of 2009 champions Pohang and Adelaide, the 2008 runners-up, who have six points each at the top.
Adelaide were left to curse a match-deciding howler by goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, who fumbled a free-kick into the path of Kim Dae-Ho on 68 minutes. Kim's strike came off defender Bruce Djite and was adjudged an own goal.
Meanwhile Nagoya scored once in the first half and twice in the second to seize sole leadership of Group G, leapfrogging Seongnam and Central Coast Mariners after their stalemate in Gosford.
Jungo Fujimoto gave Nagoya the lead on 24 minutes before Keiji Tamada lashed in a superb strike on 49 minutes as he chested down a high cross and drilled it home on the bounce.
Tianjin went close through Chen Tao's rising volley but Kensuke Nagai ended any doubt about the outcome when he broke forward and coolly slotted Nagoya's third, 17 minutes from time.
Source: AFP
