Bassam Al Rawi and Almoez Ali scored for the Gulf side as they joined Saudi Arabia at the top of Group E after the first round of matches, with the pair’s goals capping an assured display in the second period by the Qataris.

Sanchez’s side were made to work for the points against a Lebanon team that was disciplined and well-drilled and the performance of their opponents came as little surprise to the Spanish coach.

The win took Uzbekistan to second in the standings behind Japan, who defeated Turkmenistan 3-2 in their opening tie earlier on Wednesday.

Oman started aggressively, as they tested the Uzbekistan defence with several surging runs and in the 14th minute, came close to scoring through Ahmed Al Mahaijri’s header which goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov brilliantly saved.

Oman’s confidence grew as they pegged the White Wolves in their own half and in the 25th minute, Saad Al Mukhaini’s delivery from the right flank sailed invitingly for Raed Saleh but the forward failed to connect.

The Al Shabab livewire got Juan Antonio Pizzi's side up and running with a strike that was worthy of the milestone, tricking his way past Ri Il-jin before curling in a magnificent effort which DPR Korea goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk could only stand and watch as it crashed into the back of the net.

The 28th-minute goal was also Bahbri's first at senior international level, and set the tone for a performance which delivered Saudi Arabia's first winning start to the AFC Asian Cup since they last won the title, also in the UAE, in 1996.

“We are so happy to start the tournament this way and to win this game, especially with the number of goals we scored,” said Pizzi. 

“What was most important was that we implemented our own style of play today. We will follow the same ambition for the coming matches.”

Uzbekistan led 1-0 at the break following Odil Ahmedov's curling free-kick at the Sharjah Stadium.

Oman, however, clawed their way back into the game when substitute Muhsen Al Ghassani pulled his side level in the 72nd minute.

But with five minutes left, Eldor Shomurodov produced a moment of brilliance after coming on as a second-half substitute to ensure Cuper’s men got their UAE 2019 campaign off to a winning start.

The four-time Asian champions went into the break trailing 1-0 after Arslanmurat Amanov’s stunning long-range strike had threatened to earn Turkmenistan their first-ever victory at the continental Finals.

However, a much-improved Japanese display after the break – which saw Yuya Osako score twice and Ritsu Doan add a third – proved enough to seal all three points for Japan despite a late scare courtesy of Ahmet Atayev’s 79th minute penalty.

That sets the stage for an exciting battle as the UAE, expected to be backed by a capacity crowd at the Zayed Sports City Stadium, look to bounce back with a win after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bahrain in their Group A opener on Saturday.

For India, another three points would surely mean a place in the Round of 16 after their impressive 4-1 victory over Thailand on Matchday One.