The experienced defender believes the Reds face a massive test of character on Wednesday night as they look to build on last week’s victory against Pohang Steelers.

The Hindmarsh outfit caused more than a ripple or two throughout the Asian Champions League with a 2-0 win in Korea.

That result secured plenty of plaudits but Alagich admits the Reds must now deal with soaring expectations while battling to avoid the threat of complacency.

The experienced campaigner who hangs up his boots at the end of this Champions League group phase told au.fourfourtwo.com: “We were delighted to get off to such a good start against Pohang but in my view this home game on Wednesday is an even bigger test for us.

“It’s a huge test to see how we cope in the aftermath of that Pohang win. It was a great result but the challenge is to build on it. Can we put another performance together to get the points?

“Winning that match raised expectations and you have to be able to deal with that side of things. Just because you’ve achieved something away doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to happen for you at home.

"That’s why I say this match is an even bigger test than the last one. A lot of hard work (in Korea) will be wasted if we don’t perform in this one."

He added: "I think we surprised Pohang with our positive start last time out.

"We had them on the back foot in the early stages when maybe they expected us to just sit there and soak up pressure. We were very aggressive yet controlled. I think you want to be making an impression in these games from the start.

“We’re going to be watching a DVD of Changchun’s last match and we know that any side in this competition is going to be tough. They’ve a couple of internationals in their side for starters.

“When you take on a Chinese team, and I know this from our ACL campaign last year, you know they will be very good technically.”

The recent heatwave in Adelaide has cooled somewhat with temperatures no longer hitting 40 degrees. It should still be in the upper twenties come kick off on Wednesday though.

Alagich joked: “It’s down to 28 degrees today, it’s like winter. Hopefully it’ll still be a bit of an advantage to us though. They will be used to much colder temperatures.”

The defender is loving every minute of his second taste of the ACL but insists it isn’t causing him to have second thoughts about retirement.

He said: “I want to help get us into the next stage and that’s when my contract runs out. No, I haven’t changed my mind. I’ve made a decision and I’m comfortable with it.”