ADELAIDE // Diego's goal midway through the second half helped Adelaide United to a 3-0 win over Uzbekistan outfit Bunyodkor in the first leg of their Asian Champions League semi-final. Fabian Barbiero added a second for the Australian side on 76 minutes and Cristiano scored the third from the penalty spot to seal an impressive win in front of a packed Hindmarsh Stadium. Bunyodkor, coached by the Brazilian Zico, will have it all to do in the return leg in Uzbekistan in just over two weeks time. The winners will face either Gamba Osaka or Urawa from Japan in the two-leg final in November.
Diego scored his fourth goal of the Champions League tournament from close range before Barbiero added his first for Aurelio Vidmar's men. Brazil's Cristiano kept up his recent goalscoring spree by converting a spot kick in the 89th minute before 16,998 fans. Diego's goal upstaged the appearance of Bunyodkor's Brazilian World Cup star Rivaldo, a former World Player of the Year. Rivaldo was booed by the crowd after a wayward tackle in the first half.
*AP
