Adelaide: Japan's former winners Gamba Osaka dominated their AFC Champions League Group H match outclassing Australia's Adelaide United 3-0 in Adelaide yesterday.
Gamba, the last Japanese club to lift the trophy with their final victory over Adelaide in 2008, were too organised and skilful for the inexperienced Reds team.
Tall striker Shun Nagasawa put the J-League outfit ahead with a powerful header off Oh Jae-suk's curling cross in the 21st minute.
Midfielder Yasuyuki Konno rammed home a rebound in first-half stoppage time to put Gamba in command of the away tie.
Gamba rounded off the scoring when their superstar skipper Yasuhito Endo's free kick was put into his own net by Reds defender Dylan McGowan with nine minutes left.
Endo, who bossed the midfield, whipped in a free kick from the right eluding Reds goalkeeper John Hall and it deflected off McGowan into the unguarded net.
It was Gamba's fourth win over Adelaide in six meetings and a big tonic for winning their way out of their group into the knockout stages of the Asian showpiece tournament.
Gamba Osaka will be at home to South Korea's Jeju United in their next ACL match, while Adelaide travel to Jiangsu Suning in China on March 1.
