The home side were in the ascendancy from the opening exchanges, with Gotoko Sakai giving Shanghai Port a sixth-minute scare with a shot that crashed against the crossbar.

Kobe only had to wait another five minutes to take the lead. Yuruki was given too much space by Ming Tian to bend in a cross from the left that sailed over Li Shuai, allowing Muto the time to control the ball before smashing his shot past Yan.

Yoshida’s side were denied a second soon after when Daiju Sasaki’s header beat Yan only for referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim to rule that Osako had been offside in the build-up, much to the relief of the Chinese Super League side.

Kobe pushed for the second, forcing Shanghai to defend desperately. Li Shuai put in a last-ditch block to deny Osako from close range in the dying minutes of the half.

Shanghai Port’s sorties forward were limited and Mattheus Jussa’s shot that sailed high over the bar at the end of the half was reflective of an attack that was struggling to create opportunities.

Instead it was Kobe who looked the more likely to score again when the game resumed after halftime.

Muto saw his attempt deflected wide before Kuwasaki smashed in the second, a vicious right-foot shot beating Yan via the underside of the crossbar from 14 yards out nine minutes after the restart.

The third came barely a minute later when Osako swept the ball wide to Muto and his inviting pass from the right fell at the feet of Yuruki, who confidently stroked his first-time effort in.

Osako was denied from the penalty spot with 12 minutes remaining but he eventually struck three minutes later, steering Takahiro Ohgihara’s free-kick from the right beyond Yan to put the seal on a comprehensive win.