Western Sydney Wanderers reign as Asian Champions is almost at an end and Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande are in the driver's seat to replace them after a scoreless first leg of the Asian Champions League final with Al Ahli on Saturday.
Guangzhou will host the second leg in two weeks, with a good chance of winning their second Asian Champions League in three years.
Coach Felipe Luiz Scolari downplayed any advantage, however.
"If we still play like this, it will be difficult for us, we did not play well tonight," Scolari said.
"Tonight is a fair result, as I did not see our team create a lot of chances."
Mei Fang replaced the suspended Kim Young-gwon in defence in the only change to Guangzhou from the semi-finals, and they edged the attack in the first half.
Zheng Zhi's dipping volley from outside the area was only just tipped over the crossbar by a hand from Al Ahli goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud midway through the first half.
First-time finalist Al Ahli, unchanged from their thrilling semi-final defeat of Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, began to impose itself closer to the interval, and midfielder Ismail Al Hammadi's cracking shot was turned around the post by fully stretched Guangzhou goalie Zeng Cheng.
Barely 40 seconds into the new half, midfielder Huang Bowen beat Mahmoud but struck the underside of the crossbar, and the ball rebounded away safely.
Just before the hour, Guangzhou's Ricardo Goulart, the Asian Champions League leading scorer, suffered an ankle injury that threatens to keep him out of the second leg.
He was replaced by Yu Hanchao, who almost broke the deadlock midway through the second spell when his quick shot in the area was fended off by Mahmoud.
Al Ahli finished with 10 men when fullback Abdulaziz Haikal was sent off for fouling striker Gao Lin off the ball.
