It was the home side that took the lead first through former Premier League striker Obafemi Martins before back-to-back Sky Blue goals for Luke Wilkshire and Alex Brosque put Sydney FC in the ascendancy. 

Shanghai pulled level by at the end of the first half through another international star Fredi Guarin Vasquez.

Both sides had chances in the second half with Graham Arnold’s men coming agonisingly close a number of times late in the game but it wasn’t to be.

The Sky Blues now turn their attention to the last Sydney Derby at Allianz Stadium against Western Sydney this coming Sunday evening.

Brosque said: “We were much better tonight, we moved the ball around a lot more and on another night we might have made it four or five. I think we should have won.

“We switched off a bit in patches but we could have been a little more clinical tonight.

“It is harder in the AFC Champions League with the quality but you get more space so you just have to move the ball around well.”

Sydney assistant coach Steve Corica added: “We expect to qualify and get through to the next round despite the tough group.

“We’re disappointed we didn’t get the three points but we move on to the next game.”