AFC Champions League Elite - Shanghai Port’s Muscat savours winning return to Australia

Newcastle: Kevin Muscat’s return to Australia ended with three points on Tuesday as his Shanghai Port FC side held off a Newcastle Jets FC fightback to win their AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™ tie 4-2.

Shanghai Port led 3-0 early in the second half, but goals from Patrick Wood and Xavier Bertoncello brought Newcastle within touching distance before substitute Li Xinxiang struck in the 86th minute to secure the win and move the Chinese side onto seven points from four matches.

#ACLElite | Newcastle Jets FC (AUS) 2-4 Shanghai Port FC (CHN)

“It was nice to play back in Australia for the first time in quite a few years,” said Australian native Muscat. “It was important that we performed well today, and for large parts of the game we played some really good stuff. I’m happy and proud to take three points back to Shanghai.

“I was really happy with our performance and our intensity in the first half. I thought we controlled large parts of it."

“We expected Newcastle to come at us in the second half, playing at home, and at times we didn’t deal with it too well. But I’m really proud of the group for going on to get an important victory.”

Newcastle head coach Mark Milligan took encouragement from his side’s response after falling behind but lamented the goals they conceded, with the defeat leaving his side bottom of the standings with no points.

“It’s difficult when we give teams head starts. I feel we’re close to becoming the team we need to be, but there’s still a bit of hesitation at times and I need to find a way to get that out of them,” said Miligan.

“After we went 2-0 down, I thought we showed enough to suggest we’re capable of doing more than just competing.

“There are things we need to keep working on because we give away cheap opportunities. We’ll keep working on that with them, but I need them to take this now and make it their own.”

Shanghai Port’s Muscat savours winning return to Australia

MD4: Newcastle Jets FC (AUS) 2-4 Shanghai Port FC (CHN)

MD4: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR) 2-0 Johor Darul Ta’zim (MAS)

MD4: Kashiwa Reysol (JPN) 2-0 Daejeon Hana Citizen FC (KOR)

MD4: Vissel Kobe (JPN) 3-2 Ratchaburi FC (THA)

MD4: Port FC (THA) 7-4 Beijing FC (CHN)