“Congratulations to the players because they gave everything to the game,” said Munoz.

“It was the perfect game because they understood what is needed in the game, how we needed to play and perform the job. When you win 2-0 against a tough team in a tough environment, we can only be happy.”

A fifth minute opener through Oscar Arribas sent Johor Darul Ta’zim on their way as they produced a controlled performance against Chengdu, with Nacho Mendez’s 62nd minute strike settling the contest.

Conversely, the disappointment was felt keenly in the Chengdu camp with head coach Seo Jung-won admitting more has to be done to compete at this level after seeing his side produce only one shot on target.

“Today’s match was indeed a bit disappointing and I would like to apologise to our fans,” said Seo. “It’s truly unfortunate that we couldn’t perform well in this match and there were some injuries within the team.

“We should reflect on the issues that occurred, address them with our players and make necessary adjustments so that we can be fully prepared for the next match.”