Al Ittihad coach Gabriel Calderon said that his side had produced one of the best performances during his time at the helm as they breezed to a 6-2 win over 10-man Nagoya Grampus in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semi-final.

Nagoya's task at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium was made difficult when they were reduced to 10 men after just six minutes when defender Akira Takeuchi was sent off. Despite that setback Josh Kennedy headed Nagoya ahead and though Ahmed Hadid equalised for Al Ittihad, Naoshi Nakamura struck to ensure the Japanese side led 2-1 at half-time.

However, the Saudi hosts dominated after the break as skipper Mohammed Noor scored a hat-trick while a penalty from Luciano Leguizamon and Amine Chermeti's goal completed the emphatic win. "I think we achieved 50 per cent of our mission as we have another match left in Japan and I will advise my players to forget about this score," said Calderon.

My players proved that they are superstars, only talented players can achieve what they have done.
Al Ittihad coach Gabriel Calderon

"My players played one of the best matches since I took my position with Al Ittihad. We came from a defeat to win an important match against one of the greatest teams in Japan. Nagoya surprised us with the early goal but we recovered a few minutes later and after Nagoya's second goal my players failed to finish many scoring chances. But they concentrated after the break and secured the victory."

Despite the win, Calderon warned his side not to complacent in the return leg next week. "My players proved that they are superstars, only talented players can achieve what they have done, but again it is not good to forget about the next game," added the Argentinian.

The victory means Al Ittihad appear to have all but secured their place in next month's final, although Nagoya coach Dragon Stojkovic has warned his side will be a different proposition at Mizuho Athletic Stadium. "Losing a player after about five minutes made the match so difficult," he said.

"We tried to secure our lead in the first half, but Al Ittihad's pressure forced us to defend. We faced a strong and organised team who play modern football. I promise that our next home match will be totally different, we will be better in terms of performance and I expect to have my key players back as well."