Goals from Rivaldo, Jasur Hasanov and Denilson settled the Group B encounter in favour of the Uzbeks, who comfortably outclassed the Saudi side.

Bunyodkor pressed from the outset and after Joao Victor fired wide inside the opening minute, the hosts took the lead shortly afterwards.

Denilson surged forward and threaded a pass to Victor Karpenko in space in the corner of the box. He laid the ball back first-time for Rivaldo to curl home left-footed into the top corner from 25 yards.

Al Ittihad were looking panicked at the back and after Karpenko forced keeper Tisir Al Antiaf into a smart stop, Bunyodkor doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to some dreadful defending from the visitors.

Al Antiaf failed to adequately deal with Karpenko’s cross from the right and the keeper’s weak punch fell to Jasur Hasanov on the far side of the box.

The midfielder scuffed his shot into the ground but it bounced over a prone Denilson and with Al Antiaf slow to regain his feet, evaded Osama Al Harbi on the line and dribbled into the net, although the defender should have done better.

Al Ittihad came close to pulling a goal back just before the half-hour mark when Abdelmalik Ziaya glanced Mohammed Noor’s free-kick towards goal but Bunyodkor keeper Ignatiy Nesterov did excellently to turn the ball around the post low to his left.

But Al Ittihad looked a shadow of the team that reached last year’s final as the half-time whistle provided a welcome respite for the Saudis.

Nesterov was called into action again just before the hour mark when he pushed Hicham Aboucherouane’s chip over the bar before Denilson played in Server Djeparov with a lovely pass but the midfielder shot wide of the far post when well placed.

Al Antiaf partially made up for a mixed opening 45 minutes when he displayed fantastic reactions to keep out Rivaldo’s powerful header from six yards after Djeparov had whipped in a dangerous cross but it proved a mere respite as Bunyodkor netted a third in the 66th minute.

Again slack marking was to blame as a deflected free-kick looped into the air and Al Harbi merely looked on as Denilson headed his first goal for his new club.

It was almost four moments later but Anzur Ismailov glanced Djeparov’s corner over the bar from close range when the unmarked defender should have scored.

Bunyodkor continued to pepper the Al Ittihad goal before the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul on Sultan Al Numare in stoppage-time but Noor saw his effort come back off the post to sum up Al Ittihad’s miserable night.