Defending J. League champion Gamba Osaka saw its hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League fade after a 2-0 defeat by Chinese side Dalian Shide on Wednesday.
Gamba fell behind after 18 minutes on a goal from Hu Zhaojun and the home side doubled the lead with a 48th-minute header from Zhang Yaokun on its way to staying level on points with South Korea's Chonbuk Motors, which scraped past winless Da Nang of Vietnam 1-0.
The loss left Gamba on six points after four matches in first-round Group E, three adrift of Dalian Shide and Chonbuk Motors.
The top teams from each of the seven groups advance to the quarterfinals, where two-time champion Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia join the fray. The eventual winner will be rewarded with a spot in the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December.