If a 7-0 loss against Kawasaki Frontale exposed the gulf between this inexperienced Beijing side and Asia’s top outfits, the 5-0 defeat to Daegu three days later served as a reminder of the focus needed at all times at this level.

Jankovic knows earning points against teams of that calibre may be a bridge too far for a side learning the ropes in senior football, but – ahead of their return fixture against Daegu on Monday – he believes his charges are good enough to improve in their remaining three matches.

The two sides met two days ago, with the J1-League side emphatically beating their Filipino opponents 8-0, taking their points tally to nine points at the helm of the group while United City only boast a point from their opening day draw against Beijing FC.

Ulsan set a new AFC Champions League record of 12 successive wins after beating Kaya FC 3-0 in their previous match two days ago to sit top of the group with nine points while Philippines side Kaya FC are bottom after three successive defeats.

BG Pathum United overtook Viettel into second place after beating the V.League club 2-0 two days ago to sit three points behind defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC and three ahead of Monday's opposition.

Vidmar, while happy to be back on the winning trail, is nonetheless cautious of what the Vietnamese champions could potentially throw at them at the Pathum Thani Stadium on Monday.

The victory ensured Nagoya top spot in Group G with a match to spare as it took the Japanese side to 15 points, with second-placed Pohang Steelers of Korea Republic on 10 after being held 0-0 by Thailand’s Ratchaburi FC in Sunday’s earlier match.

Neither side could find the back of the net in a match of missed chances as Ratchaburi secured their first ever AFC Champions League point, a result which means that Pohang's hopes of winning the group were dashed after Japan's Nagoya Grampus defeated Johor Darul Ta'zim of Malaysia in Sunday's late match.

The Korean side must now hope to advance as one of the best three runners-up from the five groups being contested in the East zone.

Having cruised to a 9-0 victory in the reverse fixture three days earlier, head coach Kim Sang-sik made eight changes to his Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors side with only defensive duo Choi Bo-kyung, Park Jin-seong and midfielder Kim Bo-kyung retaining their places.

A cagey beginning to the game saw Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors starting as the better of the two sides, taking the game to their opponents half but struggling to create any real opportunities as the Singaporean side closed down spaces and kept their defensive shape.